They call us crazy
by sugarsweet1995
Summary: Freshly graduated from oxford, Regina Mills takes an educator and counsellor job at the Edmonton correctional centrum for young girls. She meets a lot of troubled girls, who don't want her help. She makes a deal with one of the troubled girls, Emma. Will this girl help her connect with the rest and will she be able to help this girl with a terrible past
1. Chapter 1

_She stared into darkness afraid of making a single noise. All her senses are on high alert and she can feel her skin making Goosebumps. He can't find me, he can't find me. She keeps repeating in her head like a mantra. She can hear footsteps coming closer and she finds herself holding her breath. The cracking of wood makes her shiver down her spine. She takes a hold of the knife she had kept hidden. Her knuckles turning white because of the force she uses to hold on to it._

 _The door of the closet opens and the veil man looks down. "Did you really thought I wouldn't find you?" He grabs a hand full of golden locks and drags her across the room slamming her against the wall. "Why do you even try? There is no escaping me. No one will come and rescue you! No one cares, you're worthless." She holds back the tears that are threating the spill. She had heard these words before and this time the person who says them was going to pay._

Emma wakes up feeling sweat sticking to her forehead. She rubes her temples trying to calm down. She knows it's over now. Every night she has this dream. The same dream and when it's over she wakes up and the dream doesn't return until the next night. She sit's up taking the bottle of water that is standing on her nightstand. She wishes the dreams would just stop. She doesn't need to be reminded about it every night she knows how it ends, she knows that is the reason why she is in this hell hole. She throws her legs over the edge of bed and stands up. The room is small and dark but she has been living here long enough to know where everything is. She walks towards the door and looks out of the small window.

The hall is empty everyone is sleeping except for the night guard who is watching television with one of the educators.

An educator in this place is not something like a teacher, there more like a guard but they know how to handle difficult girls. Difficult girls just like me. Emma thinks. She walks back to her bed and lays down again. She has to think about something else, something happy or fun.

There is the rumour that there would be a new educator tomorrow. One who will be fresh out of school and with a lot of spirit too help difficult girls with their difficult life's. Emma already knows that she's going to kick some sense in this girl.

"7 o'clock! Wake up girls!" A loud voice is calling. Emma opens her eyes and waits until the first educator opens the door. She can hear a click which means the door isn't locked anymore. A brunette opens the door greeting Emma with a smile. "Good morning Emma did you have a good night sleep?"

"Just fine, Ms Lucas. How was your evening?" Emma asks sweetly.

"It was lovely, thank you for asking."

"You're welcome." Emma smiles.

"Okay, you know the drill Emma. Take your toiletry and shower supply and get to the bathrooms." Emma does as she is told and within seconds she is making her way towards the showers.

It's Monday so this means that H block gets to shower. The other time in the week they get to shower is on Thursday. She walks passes Belle's room. Belle French is Emma's best friend, they get along very well. Of all the girls in the institution she is the one who is the less crazy in Emma's eyes. The girl was socially awkward but who wouldn't be after being held isolated by her father for so long and not seeing a way to escape but to stab him and run.

"Hey girl!" Emma cries enthusiastic.

"Hey." Bell says with a small voice.

"You ready to take a shower?" Bell shakes her head and stares at her things in her closet. Emma walks further in the room.

"What's the problem?" Emma asks while looking in the closet. She can't see Belle's shower supply.

"Were are your things?"

"I don't know, everything was here yesterday."

Emma walks back out of the room and in to the next room, Stefanie's room. The girl jumps when she sees Emma and Emma backs her up against the wall next to the bed.

"Who took Belle's things?" She asks with venom in her voice. Stefanie regains some of her confident and tills up her chin.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" She says with a grin.

Emma looks back at the door not seeing any educator. She grabs Stefanie and twists her arm which makes the girl squirm and fall on her knees.

"AA! Stop, you're breaking my arm!" She yells.

"Tell me were Belle's things are!" Emma asks again. "I know Belle accidentally bump into you which causes you to let go of the scissors you were trying to take to your room. I know that Ms Blanchard saw it and confiscated them, I get you're pissed at Belle for that but if you don't give her stuff back I will make sure you don't need to cut yourself, I will do it for you and I will make sure you bleed to dead." The girls lip starts the quiver and Emma knows she just one this battle. She is not proud of using the girls weaknesses against them but sometimes it's necessary.

"I'll get them just give me a second." Stefanie says while wiping away the tears that had dared to escape her eyes.

Emma makes it her business to know every girl's weaknesses in the institution, it gives her power to know all the dirty little secrets.

Stefanie Peterson for example is a self-harm girl, angry with the world and the people who live in it. She was 14 when she was send to this place. She had set fire to her old school building while people were inside. She didn't run she just stared at the building and smiled when she saw several girls from her class trying to get out but couldn't because she had locked to doors.

No one got hurt, fire men had come in time to rescue them. It had been Stefanie's luck, that no one had died. Because if someone had she would be in a whole other and much worse place.

The thing about Stefanie people didn't know was that she was being bullied for three years. She didn't have any friends no one to talk to her and no one who stud up for her. She felt worthless and stupid and ugly. The cutting helps her, because the cuts were a reminder that the cuts hurt more than the words.

But that day of the fire something just snapped inside Stefanie's head. She couldn't remember how the cuts fell the only thing she could remember were those girls who called her ugly and stupid and who told her that no one would care if she was dead.

Stefanie walks towards her toilet and opens the lit giving Emma the things. Emma takes them and looks in Stefanie's eyes, they are red and puffy. "Don't take Belle's things!" Emma says but her voice is much warmer than before. She takes a hold of Stefanie's arm and looks at her scars. "You know you don't need to do that anymore or is there someone who is bullying you?" Stefanie shakes her head and pulls her arm back. She covers her arm with her sleeve. Emma takes a step further and holds Stefanie in a tight embrace. "You are a beautiful, smart, fantastic girl. You don't need to hurt yourself anymore." Emma says, she can feel Stefanie holding her a bit tighter. Emma let the embrace linger a bit longer knowing Stefanie needs it.

"I'm sorry for so getting mad at you like that but you know I have a reputation to up hold." Emma smiles and Stefanie nods in understanding.

Emma walks back to Belles room. "You ready to hit the showers?"

Showering was one of the favourite things in Emma world. The stream of warm water hits her back and she can feel her muscles starting to relax. "Hey Emma you in here?" A voice calls out for her. "Yes just a second I'm almost done." She switches off the stream and covers herself up with a towel.

"Yes what's up?" She asks looking at the small blond standing who looks very excited.

"She has arrived! The new educator!" Emma smiles and starts drying her hair. The blond is looking at Emma with a lot of enthusiasm. "So? What are you going to do?" She asks.

"Well my little Tinkerbelle, why would I spoil the surprise?" Emma grins. Tinkerbelle whose real name is Elfie pouts. "Please! Can you make an exception just this one's!" Emma shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry but don't worry it's worth the waiting." Tinkerbelle accepts the fact that Emma isn't going to spoil and walks back to her unit.

Emma couldn't help but smile. She knows everyone loves the way she welcomes new staff to this crazy house. But it was Tinkerbelle's highlight and Emma knows to girl could use some excitement in her life.

Tinkerbell or Elfie was an adrenaline junky but not in the legal kind of way. She didn't go skydiving or anything no she was a speed junky and needed the kick of every shot. One night the police showed up at her boyfriend's apartment and she was so out of her mind that she had hit several police men. She even broke one's nose.

Emma dresses herself and waits for Belle to finish her shower and get dressed too. "So are you ready." Emma grins looking at Belle who nods.

"Did you tell Lily and Mulan what they need to do, good! It's ShowTime, don't forget the soap!" They walk out of the shower in unit H ready to set the plan in motion.

Regina was patiently waiting in the office of Mrs. Eugenia Lucas the director of Edmonton correctional centrum for young girls. Regina looks around the stuffy old room and wasn't impressed with what she had seen so far. The minute she walked in the building everything looked like it was built years ago. Old wooden doors, creaking floors and no sign of modern electronica yet.

And now She was getting cold shivers by just looking at this painting which was placed right behind the old wooden desk, It was looking straight at her. It was a painting of an old man with grey hair and hamster cheeks. Regina gets up and walks behind the desk to take a better look at the painting. 'Director Edward Burgondin 1935-2007'. This guy out lived the war. Regina thought to herself.

She is startled by a door opening and closing. Regina turns around and sees an old, short woman with grey hair in a bun walking towards her with a smile on her face.

"You must be Regina Mills." The woman says and shaking Regina's hand. "My name is Eugenia Lucas but please call me Mrs. Lucas. She gestures to the chair and Regina takes a seat.

"So Regina Mills, graduated from Oxford with honours and now you are going to work here as an educator and counsellor. I must say Edmonton correctional centrum for young girls isn't the first place someone wants to work when they first come out of school."

She looks Regina up and down trying to measure if she was going to make it through the first week. Regina could guess what the woman was thinking. Yes she was small and she had never been in a fight her whole live but she could do this.

"I like the challenge." She says putting on a fake smile.

"Well a challenge you will get. Come I will show you around."

They leave the office and walk down a long corridor at the end of the corridor there is a glass door which is closed off to anyone who doesn't have a key card.

"There are camera's hanging on both sides and a guard checks everyone who passes through this door. This is your key card don't lose it." Mrs. Lucas explains. They walk further and come into an open space were girls are sitting on a couch watching TV, some are playing, some are reading. When they see Mrs Lucas they all smile and greet her. "Good morning Granny!"

"Granny?" Regina asks. Mrs Lucas can't help but smile. "It's there nickname for me, they see me as a granny who gives them treats and good advice."

"They must really like you." Mrs. Lucas doesn't respond she just nods.

"As you can see this is the main area were everyone spends their day. To the left of the main area is the kitchen/cafeteria and to the right we have a few class rooms, one for each unit. This is your block and there are four units. E and F are on the ground floor and H and G on the second floor. Next to unit H there is a break room for the educators with a small kitchen, couch, toilets and showers. During the day the girls can walk around freely accept for the break room of the educators there are not allowed to go there. In the evening they are locked in their cells until morning 7 o'clock. Do you have any question so far?" Regina shakes her head and follows Mrs. Lucas in to the break room.

There are four other people in the break room and they all look up when Regina and Mrs. Lucas walk in. "Good morning everyone, this is Miss Regina Mills she is the new educator. Miss Mills can I introduce you to my lovely granddaughter Ruby Lucas." Ruby gets up and shakes Regina's hand. "This fine young man is Graham Hubert. The other one sipping his coffee is August Booth." Graham shakes Regina's hand and gives August a little friendly push as he does the same. "And we have left Mary Margaret Blanchard." The woman smiles a white smile and gives Regina a hug instead of a handshake.

"So now that you have met everyone, I can leave you in the good care of my granddaughter." She says while pushing Ruby forward who rolls her eyes and granny leaves the room.

"So welcome to the team Regina. If you have any questions feel free to ask them." Ruby sits back down and grabs a cookie and continues sipping her coffee. Regina does the same and pours herself some water.

"How many girls are in here?" She asks.

"24! Six in every unit." Mary Margaret says before Ruby has a chance.

"And just five educators? Is that low."

"Yes it is." Graham says. "Budget cuts, but don't worry. There are four guards who also keep an eye on things."

Their conversation is cut short as they can hear the loud ringing of a bell. Graham and Mary Margaret make their way out of the door.

"The sound of the bell let the girls know that classes are starting for units H and G. Units E and F are free to do what they want until this afternoon that's when me and August teach them." Ruby says. Regina nods in understanding.

"You were also hired as a counsellor?" Regina nods again. "Well than I probably should show you to the counsellor room." Ruby gets up and Regina follows.

It's a small room with a desk, a closet for files, a sof and a comfortable looking chair.

"I don't know if a lot of girls will come. They don't like to talk about stuff but if they do you should help them in here, so they have more privacy. The rest of the day is filled with watching the girls and if there are problems you will have to intervene. Alright I think that's all, any information about the girls are in those fills." Ruby points to the closet. She turns and is about to leave when she freezes and turns around. "Oh I almost forgot, watch out for Emma Swan today. She like to give each new member of staff a lovely welcome." Ruby grins and Regina can make out of that look that it will not be a pleasant welcome.

Regina is sitting in her little office looking over different files, making out how she was going to help these girls. Some of them had been through so much.

She can hear someone knocking and looks up when the door to the office s opened. "Excuse me ma'am are you the new educator Ms. Mills?" An Asian looking girl asks.

"Yes I am, how can I help you?"

"It's not me who needs help it's Miss Blachard. She in classroom one." The girl leaves the room without any other explanation, Regina frowns. Why would Miss Blachard need her help?

She makes her way to classroom 1 and knocks on the door. There is no answer and Regina decides to open the door and step in the room. Six heads turn in her direction but none of them is of miss Blachard.

"I'm sorry to disturb you all but where is miss Blachard."

"She's gone out for a minute but she will be right back. You can come in and wait for her." A blond girl with green eyes says. Regina closes the door and walks to the teacher's desk but she can feel her feet losing the grip they have on the floor as she takes a step. She falls with her back against the supply closet. She takes a second to register what just happen when a bucket of pink paint falls out of the closet and spills all over her.

She can heard laughter and applause of the girls who are enjoying the sight of the new educator all covered in the ugliest pink paint she has ever seen. The door of the classroom opens and a confused Mary Margaret steps in looking at her students. "What is so funny? Why are you all….." She follows the gaze of some of her students and her eyes fall on Regina. "Oh My! Regina what happened!" She helps Regina up.

"I fell! And my stumble against the closet made the paint to fall all over me."

"You poor soul, why don't you go to the break room and have a shower. You can ask Ruby were the spar clothes are." Regina nods and walks out of the closet with her head hell down.

The moment she walks across of the main hall all eyes are on her and everyone is laughing there asses off.

"She looks like a giant bubble-gum!" Someone yells.

"Ms. Mills that colour suits you!" Someone else yells. She makes it to the break room and as soon as Ruby sees her she can't help but laugh with a worried expression.

"Please stop laughing, it's not funny. Can you tell me where I can find the spar clothes, I need to take a shower."

"Yes I can, but what the hell happened. Did Emma do this?" Regina frowned. "No, I haven't met her yet. I was just clumsy, I fell." Ruby makes her way to the supply closet and pulls out a t-shirt and jeans.

"Here are the spar clothes but you are going to have to take a shower in one of the girls units cause our shower just broke down. It's all a mess, stinky water coming out of the sprays." Regina nods takes the clothes and walking towards the showers of the E unit. She feel her face getting red when she has to walk past the girls a second time.

As soon as the water hits her back she can relax just a little more. She can't believe how clumsy she was. She has never felt this embarrassed in her life, she hopes that the rest of the day will be uneventful.

Regina crused when a loud ringing is heard outside the hall. She shuts of the shower when she has washed away all of the paint and puts on a towel. She listens n to the noises outside. The ringing is still going on and she can heard footsteps passing the shower unit. She gets out of the shower and wants to put on the clothes but there are no clothes there even the ones covered in paint aren't even there anymore. "What's going on?" She asks herself when a metallic voice in heard through speakers.

"Please everyone, keep calm while the fire alarm is working and go to the main hall!"

The fire alarm? Is there a fire. Regina starts to panic a bit. If there really is a fire she can't stay here she needs to get out. She opens the door and makes her way towards the main hall. She can feel herself getting red, she must be looking like a tomato right now. The first person to see her starts laughing and soon the whole main hall is laughing at her expense. Ruby who can't control her laughter as well walks towards her and tries to shield her from the girls.

"What are you doing? Where are your clothes?" Regina pulls the towel closer to her skin. "They weren't there anymore, someone took them." Ruby takes of her sweater and hands it to Regina who gratefully accepts it.

The ringing of the fire alarm is shot off and the clicking of heels in heard. "Where are you all looking at?" Mrs. Lucas asks furious. There was no fire and someone had pulled the fire alarm and she was going to find out who did it. She sees Ruby taking of her sweater and then she sees Regina standing in only a towel shivering. She turn around and faces the girls using her most effecting gaze to stare them down one by one.

The laughter dies out and everyone waits for granny to speak.

"EMMA SWAN!"

Mrs. Lucas speak slowly but clear. A blond girl with green eyes and a cocky smile steps forward. Regina looks past Ruby and recognize the girl who told her to come in the classroom and wait for Miss Blanchard.

"Miss Mills put some clothes on and come to my office. Emma you follow me!" Granny makes her way through the crowd of girls and Emma follows.

The surprising thing which made Regina wonder that all of this wasn't because of her clumsiness is that all the girls started applauding and cheering for Emma.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina had found some sweatpants and still wore Ruby's sweater but she found herelf decent enough to go into Mrs. Lucas's office.

Mrs. Lucas was sitting at her desk and Emma was sitting in a chair across of it. Regina walks in and sits down in the chair next to Emma. She is looking at the girl and Emma stares right back at her. There was something playful in her eyes.

"Emma! What would you like to tell Miss Mills." Emma rolls her eyes. "Emma!" Mrs. Lucas says a bit harsher.

"I'm sorry, miss mills for making your day so eventful." Regina frowns. How can everything that happened today be the girls fault?

"Why don't you explain your very impressive plan to Miss Mills." Emma signs.

"I made a friend come to you this morning telling you Miss Blanchard needed your help for something. My other friend lead Miss Blanchard away from the class while we soap in the floor, make it slippery. We made sure the paint bucket was open so It would spill all over you. When it did you needed a shower, Friend number three clocked the toilet in unit G which are in connection with the showers of the educators break room. Which made the toilet water come out of the showers. That same friend stole your clothes while you were showering and I pulled the fire alarm knowing you had no other choice but to get out of the shower wearing only a towel. And because the only way out was for you to come to all of us through the main hall."

Regina gaped at Emma, she couldn't believe that this all was a trick. "But why do this to me?"

"Because I'm the fucking welcome committee. Welcome to Edmonton correctional centrum for young girls." Emma smiles, she had been so proud of her plan and everything had worked out just the way she wanted it.

Regina couldn't believe what she heard. This girl was laughing in her face, she made her first day miserable and she still had the nerve to laugh.

"I want her to be punish for her behaviour." Regina demands.

"Of course she will be punish miss Mills." Mrs. Lucas says and directs herself to Emma. "Emma you have breakfast duty for a week, this means you will get up at six instead of seven. Ruby or another educator will let you out of your cell and you will make breakfast for units H and G. When you don't have any other duties or classes you will report to Miss Mills, to help her with anything she needs assistants with." Emma signs and rolls with her eyes. It was still worth it, she thought.

"Emma! Did I make myself clear!" Mrs. Lucas asks more firmly.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Miss Mills, do you have something the aid to the punishment?" Regina shakes her head. She likes the punishment and she could use the extra time she was going to spend with Emma to figure out what was wrong with this girl.

"Well, miss Mills you can leave now and resume your tasks." Regina nods and leaves the office.

"So Emma was it worth it?" Mrs. Lucas asks with curious eyes.

"Yes it was granny, did you hear everyone? They all laughed and had a good time." Emma can't help the smile that spreads across her face. That was the reason behind her welcome committee. She could bring smiles to all the faces of the girls. And some girls really needed it. Granny smiles and shakes her head.

"You can go now and don't forget to set you clock for six a.m."

As soon as Emma was back in the main hall, Mulan, Belle and Lily approached her. "Oh my god, I can't believe we actually pulled that off. The look and Mills' face was priceless." Lily says.

"Did you get in a lot of trouble?" Belle asks concern.

"No, just breakfast duty for a week and being Mills' slave." Emma grins. She really didn't care about the punishment. Everyone looked so happy.

"Are we going to get in trouble for helping," Mulan asks. Emma could heard the insecurity in Mulan's voice.

"Of course not I didn't tell on you. You're all save."

"EMMA!" A voice from behind the girls yelled.

"Yes miss Blanchard?" Emma turns to look at the pixie cut woman who tried her best to look serious like she was a person with authority but she failed miserably.

"No lunch for you young lady! You are going to clean my classroom, there's paint everywhere and I need to teach this afternoon. When you are done with that you will go to miss Mills for further instructions."

Emma rolls her eyes at the teacher and follows her but not before giving her friends a hug and a wink.

It had taken her two hours to clean the classroom from any paint and her arms were feeling sore. She walked to the counsellor office and knocked. Emma enters and waits by the door for orders. Regina didn't look up, she was wearing black glasses on the top of her nose and Emma cursed herself for thinking she looked super cute with them.

"So what do you want me to do?" Emma asks suspicious. There wasn't much to be done in this office. She couldn't think of a single thing she could do while she was here. Regina looked up from her paperwork and stared at Emma with a curious look. Emma didn't like the way she was looking at her it was like she was trying to look in her head. Regina gets up, walking past Emma to the large office closet.

"I want you to copy these files, you start with the names starting with A to C." Regina takes the files with the A names and hands them to Emma. She shows her the copy machine and instructs how she needs to copy them.

"When you have finished copying a file you stable them and put them on this pile." Regina points at the pile with papers that were already done. The brunette goes back and sits done in her chair and starts writing again. Emma signs loud enough for Regina to heard but started her work nevertheless.

They didn't speak, the only sound you could hear was the scraping of pen to paper and the zooming of the copy machine. Emma was starting to get irritated by her work, she tried but she could not find a single reason while all the files had to be copied. Emma hated doing work without a purpose. She took a few glances at Regina but the brunette counsellor was still busy writing stuff down.

"I'm bored!" Emma says trying to make conversation.

"Do I have to remind you that this isn't supposed to be fun but a punishment." Regina states dryly. Emma rolls her eyes and sits down in the chair across of Regina and watches her like a hawk watches her prey. She was bored and she was going to play her own fun game, pissing off the new counsellor, again.

"What are you doing?" Regina asks after a while. Emma smiles and keeps looking in her eyes but she doesn't say anything.

"Go back to work Emma!" Regina says more firmly. Emma shakes her head, she wonders how far she could push Regina. How much would it take to break her.

"If you don't go back to work I will talk to Mrs. Lucas and you will get a more severe punishment."

Emma starts laughing. "Really? You can't handle me on your own? You know, you can't show weakness in this place. People will take advantage!"

Regina eyes grow hard. Emma could see her vein on her forehead. She was really good in pissing people off.

"I'm not weak and you will listen to me!" Regina jumps up and glares daggers at Emma.

Emma can feel the tension in the room and she knows if she pushes Regina more she will probably get a punishment but Emma isn't a girl who backs down because she could get punished.

"Make me!"

Regina tenses, she can't let Emma talk to her this way. Why does this girl need to make this so hard.

"You will stay here all evening, no dinner and no socializing with your friends. Now go back to work and stop talking!" Regina waits for Emma next response but is surprised when Emma stands up and grins at her.

"There you go, no weakness. I think you will survive just fine."

It was fun to mess with Miss Mills, but lying in bed not able to sleep because of her grumbling stomach, Emma was having a hard time feeling good about it. Or was it because she had seen something in Regina's eyes that was very familiar to her? When Emma told her not to be weak, something inside the brunette's eyes had changed. Emma had identified anger, sorrow and regret; three emotions Emma was very familiar with. It made her curious.

She hears a soft knock on the door. Emma sits up and watches the dim light from the corridor peering in. For a split-second Emma feels a shiver go down her spine: she doesn't like people coming into her room especially at night but as the figure comes closer she can see dark brown hair and cautious brown eyes looking at her. She breathes in and out and forces herself to relax.

"What are you doing here so late?" She asks Miss Mills.

"I thought you might like something to eat. Mary Margaret told me you didn't have any lunch and I don't want you to starve because of your stubbornness," Miss Mills says and hands Emma a plate with a grilled cheese. Emma takes the plate and sets her teeth into the delicious snack. She can't help but moan. This is the best grilled cheese she has ever had. Miss Mills turns around to leave but Emma catches her arm and pulls her back.

"Can you stay for a little while? I can't sleep." Regina hesitates - she's not supposed to stay - but before she can make up her mind Emma gives her the little excuse she needs.

"We're not supposed to have plates in our room, so you have to wait for me to finish to take it with you."

Regina knows what Emma is doing but she is grateful that she does. Emma pats the edge of her bed, gesturing for Regina to sit down.

"So I have been wondering all afternoon and evening what the purpose is of copying all those files."

Regina sits down on the edge of the bed looking a bit uncomfortable.

"I like to take the files home with me so I can look through them, to determine how I can help some of the girls with their problems when they come to me for guidance."

Emma starts laughing at Regina like she has said the most ridiculous thing ever.

"Why is that funny?" Regina asks, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.

"No one will come to you for help," Emma states and Regina gets up angrily.

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that! It has nothing to do with you, it's just… in all the time I've been here no one has ever gone to the counsellor. I was shocked they even agreed to hire someone new when counsellor Archie left."

Regina stares at Emma.

"Why doesn't anybody come and talk to the counsellor? I could really make a difference to many of the girls."

"What if we made a deal?" Emma asks.

"What kind of deal?" Regina replies suspiciously; if there is one thing she has learnt today, it is not to trust the blond.

"I will advertise your services to the other girls and instead of a week of helping you in the office I will help you for two more days."

Regina turns her back to the blond and thinks this through. Should she take the deal? Will the girls listen to the blond? Why would Emma have this much influence? She turns back around and looks the blond in the eyes.

"Okay fine, three more days!" Emma grins as she gets up and shakes Regina's hand.

"It's a deal."

They both smile at one another, pleased with the arrangement. Emma is happy because her punishment has been reduced and Regina is happy because it feels like she has made some progress.

Emma finishes eating her grilled cheese and Regina sits back down.

"There's something I have been wondering, Emma."

"What?"

"I was looking at your file and I was a bit shocked with what I was reading. Only the bare facts are mentioned in the file and not the motivation behind your actions. Why did you do it?"

The whole afternoon when Emma was in her office, Regina had had Emma's file in front of her whilst pretending to write things down. She still couldn't believe that the girl sitting right next to her could have done such an awful thing without a clear motivation or reason behind it.

"Yeah, we are so not doing this. I told you I would promote your work to the other girls, but that doesn't include me."

"Why not? I could really help you," Regina says and puts her hand on Emma's knee, "why don't you come to my office tomorrow? Not to work but to talk."

Emma pushes Regina's hand off and gives her the plate back.

"Read my lips lady! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!"

Regina gets the hint. She stands back up, but before she leaves the room she turns around and holds Emma's gaze.

"I don't think you did it without a good reason, Emma. You're not a horrible person." Her voice is soft and warm, but Emma can't show weakness.

"You don't know me, so don't act like you do!"

Emma lies back down and pulls the covers over her head. The next thing Emma hears is just a whisper, but it does something to her that she can't explain.

"But I want to know you."

Regina closes the door behind her and walks into her apartment. Today has been hell, mostly because of Emma Swan, but she feels like she has made some progress with the girl and she truly wants to get to know her. She walks through the foyer and into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out the bottle of wine she had started the night before.

Sitting on her coach by the fireplace, Regina puts down her glass of wine and can feel her muscles relax. Even after everything that had happened today, being in that place had been easier than she had originally thought it would be. She thought it would bring up severe emotions, knowing she was in the same place where her sister had killed herself.

She stands up and lets her eyes wander over the fireplace and to the picture frame sitting on the edge. She grabs the frame and holds it close to her chest. She can feel tears rolling down her cheeks but she doesn't stop them. She needs this, she needed to cry. It was a natural reaction. She looks at the picture and traces the lines of her big sister's face.

"I wasn't able to help you, Zelena, but I will do everything in my power to help these girls." She says softly, before putting the picture back on the fireplace, grabbing her glass of wine and going into her bedroom to get a good night's rest

 _He grabs her head and smacks her in the face. She falls to the floor and loses her grip on the knife she had clutched in her hand._

 _"What is this you little CUNT?"_

 _He grabs the knife and holds it against her throat._

 _"You were going to use this on me weren't you?"_

 _Emma shuts her eyes and waits for the knife to cut into her skin. She can smell the alcohol on his breath and feels the cold sharp edge of the blade pressing into her flesh._

 _"You're not even worth the trouble I'll get in if I kill you."_

 _He loosens his hold on her and she falls to the floor again. She touches her neck and sees blood on her hands._

 _"You will live in this house for the rest of your worthless life, doing exactly what I say. You will be my slave and there is nothing you can do about it."_

 _He turns around and makes to leave to room._

 _Emma gets up shakily and pushes him. He loses balance and falls, the knife clattering to the ground. Emma doesn't think: she grabs the knife…._

"EMMA! EMMA!"

Strong arms are shaking her awake. Emma opens her eyes and pushes the person away.

"AH!"

Emma's push makes Graham stumble and fall on his ass.

"God damn, Emma! What the hell is wrong with you!"

Emma sits up and wipes away the wetness on her face. She had been crying in her sleep.

"I'm sorry, I had a nightmare."

Graham gets up and looks at her with concern.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks tentatively, but feels he already knows the answer.

"No, I don't. What time is it? Why are you in my room?"

"It's six o'clock. Your punishment, remember? You have to start making breakfast for everyone."

Right, for a second it had slipped her mind. Graham walks out of the cell. "Get some clothes on and meet me in the kitchen in five minutes."

Emma sighs and dresses quickly. She walks to her small bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. Her eyes are red and she looks extremely tired. She washes her face and puts concealer on the scar on her throat. When she is satisfied that you can't see it - only if you look really close and know that it's there - she leaves her room and heads to the kitchen. Graham is already busy gathering the ingredients to make omelettes. At around half past eight everything is ready: the omelettes are cooked and the orange juice is poured into jugs and placed on the tables, along with some boxes of cornflakes. Emma's kitchen duty is done for the day and she joins her friends at their table.

"Mmm these eggs are delicious Emma." Tink comments and Emma smiles. She likes cooking because it's one of the few things she is actually good at. She learned when she was nine years old at her fourth foster home: her foster mom was an older Latina woman called Maria. It was the first foster home she felt she could actually call a home. Maria was a fantastic woman; she was so experienced that it felt like she knew everything about anything.

 _"The thing about cooking, my sweet Emma, is it has to taste, smell and feel right. Close your eyes, Mija."_

 _Maria takes a spoon and holds it in front of Emma's mouth for her to taste the liquid on the spoon. It's pure olive oil; it doesn't taste that bad but she wouldn't drink a whole glass of it._

 _"How does it taste, Emma?"_

 _"It's tastes fine."_

 _She can hear Maria laugh._

 _"Good girl… Now try this. How does it taste now?"_

 _Emma takes a bite of the crunchy bread and can taste different spices and smell the olive oil. She might not be able to drink a whole bottle of the oil, but she could eat this bread all night long._

 _"This is delicious," she exclaims happily._

 _"Open your eyes, Emma."_

 _Emma opens her eyes and sees ciabatta bread covered with olive oil._

 _"You see, Emma - something that tastes good can taste so much better if you find the right matching ingredient."_

"Hello? Earth to Emma!"

Lily is waving her hand in front of Emma face.

"What are you thinking about?"

Emma abruptly snaps out of it. She is mad at Lily though; it's been a long time since she could remember anything good from her childhood. Those beautiful memories are mostly blocked by the awful ones. Just like the memories with Maria are mostly blocked by the image Emma has of finding her foster mom motionless in her favourite chair. Her heart had failed.

"I'm not thinking about anything, I just zoned out for a second."

"So what are we going to do today?" Belle asks.

"We…" Emma points to her and Belle, "we have class. You two," she now points to Lily and Tink, "you are going to Miss Mills' office to talk to her."

"What?" Lily questions. "Why do we have to talk to Miss Mills?"

"I made a deal with her. If I promote her counselling, I only have to work three days for her instead of a whole week. And who knows where Mulan is?" Emma had looked around the cafeteria but couldn't see the Asian girl.

"She had a tantrum this morning and is locked in isolation."

Emma can't believe it. The last thing Mulan needs is to be locked away. Mulan is the only one who has kept her secrets to herself and so Emma doesn't know the real reason why she had smashed a pastor's head in. Emma likes Mulan, but she also doesn't have any power over her. If she wants to keep Mulan as a friend she has to help her out with this.

"Hey, where are you going? Class is going to start soon," Belle asks nervously, she doesn't like being alone in class without her friends.

"I'm going to make sure Mulan gets released from isolation. Don't worry, I'll be in class in a second."

Emma leaves the cafeteria and hurries to Miss Mills' office.

She doesn't bother knocking, barging through the door and accidentally hitting Miss Mills in the back with it, making her spill coffee all over her white blouse.

"Oh shit, sorry about that!" Emma closes the door, takes a box of tissues from the desk and tries cleaning up the blouse. She doesn't realize the awkwardness of her actions.

"Emma! Emma stop, I'll just get a new shirt." She grabs Emma's wrists to make her stop. Emma finally realizes that what she was doing was very inappropriate, making her blush bright crimson.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Regina smiles at the apology.

"It's okay, please calm down and take a breath. What did you need me for?" Regina sits down and looks at Emma patiently.

"Yeah, right okay. I want you to take Fa Mulan out of isolation."

Regina coughs in astonishment.

"Excuse me, you want? I'm sorry Emma but what you want isn't something I need to take into consideration."

Emma grits her teeth.

"Please, Miss Mills. It's not in her best interest to be in there."

"And what do you know about her best interest? Is there something I need to know about Mulan?" Emma rolls her eyes. Why does she have to make this so difficult?

"I know more about her than you and no, there is nothing you need to know about her."

Regina is taken aback by the girl's rudeness.

"I'm sorry but I don't have to listen to your demands. Go to class!" Regina takes some more tissues and starts cleaning herself up properly.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Emma curses angrily.

"Miss Swan! Language! Or do you want to be put in isolation as well?"

Emma breathes in and out, trying to control her frustration with this woman.

"Alright." She sits down and stares at Regina. "I will work an extra day in here if you let Mulan out of isolation."

Regina raises her eyebrow. "Really? And why would you do that? And please don't give me a lame excuse for your actions. I only want to hear you tell the truth."

"Because in this place I'm the boss because no one knows my secrets and I know all the secrets of every girl - except for Mulan - and I need to keep her as my friend and not my enemy. So if I can get you to release her, I'll have more control over her."

Regina is amazed by the way Emma's mind works. It isn't how a girl her age should think. She should want Mulan out of isolation just because she is her friend- but this? No, this isn't right. Yet there is nothing she can do about it and Regina isn't pleased about that fact. Maybe the last counsellor had left because he had come to the same conclusion. No, Regina wasn't raised like this! She was not going to give up on these girls. She might not be able to do anything right now, but she was going to do something.

"Go to class, Emma. I will release her from isolation."

Regina watches the smile on Emma face as she gets up.

"Oh yeah, before I forget, today you'll be able the put your counselling talents to good use."


	3. Chapter 3

She hears the first knock on her door just after ten o'clock.

"Come in."

As soon as the blond steps inside her office she recognizes her as one of Emma's friends.

"Hello, it's Elfie right? What can I do for you today?" Regina asks sincerely.

"I like it when people call me Tink! And I'm here because I need someone to talk to."

Tink sighs inwardly. Emma had ordered her and Lily to go to Miss Mills' office and pretend they wanted to talk to her.

Tink doesn't really know what she should talk about. She supposes she can tell the counsellor the truth about her using drugs and getting caught, but she doesn't want to.

"Why don't you sit down and tell me what is on your mind."

Regina takes a seat in her comfy leather chair and watches Tink curiously taking a seat on the couch opposite.

'This feels so much like therapy,' Tink thinks.

Neither of them say anything. Regina doesn't want to push the girl into making forced smalltalk and Tink still has no idea what to say. After fifteen long, uncomfortable minutes Tink ends the silence.

"I don't like the food!" She blurts out. Regina frowns; it isn't exactly the first thing she was expecting to come out of Tink's mouth.

"Why don't you like the food?" Regina decides to persevere, just glad that the girl is finally speaking.

"I don't know, I just don't. It tastes awful. The only time I've actually enjoyed eating in this place was this morning - when Emma made the eggs. She knows how to cook, she should make every meal."

And before Regina can fully comprehend it, Tink starts rambling.

"I never really learned to cook. No, my parents didn't have the time to teach me. My school didn't have any cooking courses either. I wonder where Emma learned…Can you cook, Miss Mills?" Tink poses the question but doesn't wait for an answer as she continues her deluge.

"You probably can. My favourite food is chicken and french fries. I don't even know how long it's been since I ate that. When I did drugs and had hunger pangs I would always eat french fries. What do you like? I bet you like salad; with your figure you can't eat anything greasy. Models probably only eat salads. I wanted to be a model when I grew up but I'm too small. That's how I got my nickname: I'm like Tinkerbelle, the little fairy from Peter Pan. My brother started calling me that…"

After another ten minutes of rambling non-stop, Tink finishes her diatribe. She looks at Miss Mills who is gaping at her.

"So thank you for the talk, it was really nice. Most of the time people tell me to just shut up, but not you… You're a really good listener." Tink smiles and leaves the office as suddenly as she had arrived.

Regina has to take a minute to adjust to the relative silence of the room. Tink had given her a lot of information about herself. Regina was able to write some important notes that could help her when dealing with the girl in the future.

Mainly, Regina has found out that Tink likes to talk and has a good bond with her brother, but less so with her parents - the poor parent-child relationship perhaps explaining why Tink had turned to drugs in the past. Regina walks to the cupboard and starts filling Tink's File with the extra information. Maybe she could schedule a meeting with the girl's parents and have a family counselling session.

Not much later there is a second knock at the door and a girl, Regina remembers her name is Lily, doesn't wait to enter - instead walking straight over to the couch and lying down.

"I need to tell you shit," she says rudely.

Regina has to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything about the child's behaviour.

"Alright, start at the beginning."

Regina picks up a pen and some paper, putting her glasses on as an afterthought.

"What do you want to hear?" Lily asks. Regina looks up from her paper and frowns; she doesn't like Lily's attitude.

"You came to me, Lily. You can talk about anything you want."

"I don't want to be here."

"Then why did you come? Did someone make you?"

"She always wants to be the boss! We have to listen to her and obey her every wish."

"Who? Who do you have to obey?" Regina feels certain she already knows who the girl is referring to, but she still wants to hear her say it.

"Emma fucking Swan! She's the boss! I don't want to be here and I don't need to talk to you. I know I have problems but I'm not going to talk to you about them."

"Alright, let's forget about Emma for a second and focus on why you don't want to talk to me."

Regina can't believe it. Emma had actually forced the two girls to come and see her. It wasn't how the deal they had made was meant to work and Emma wasn't going to get away with this.

Lily is quiet for a while and Regina sees that she is struggling with something. Lily clearly wants to get something off her chest but feels she can't.

"How about I tell you something personal about myself? I'm putting my trust in you, so you can do the same with me."

Lily looks nervous but nods.

"Okay. I think I was about five years old when my mother hit me for the first time. She had taken me with her to have tea with one of her friends. I wasn't allowed to talk or play, I just had to sit down and be quiet. After about an hour I had to go to the toilet, but every time I wanted to ask my mother if I could, she told me to be quiet. I couldn't hold it for long and I wet myself. My mother was so furious she dragged me out of the house and hit me so hard that she split my lip." Regina let her fingertips trace the little scar on her upper lip.

"After that time something changed in our relationship and she would hit me whenever I wasn't looking or behaving up to her standards."

Lily stares at her in shock.

"She sounds awful!"

Regina gives her a small smile. "Yes she was."

"She isn't alive anymore?"

"No, she died when I was twelve."

Lily is silent again, considering the benefits of opening up to Miss Mills.

"Okay, I'm ready to talk now."

Regina puts her hand on Lily's and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"I got a letter from my biological mom."

"Is that so?" Regina stands up to take out and look over Lily's file. Lily has been a foster child since birth, given up by her mother without any means of making contact. Until now it seemed.

"Yes… She wants to see me, but I don't know what to do. Why should I want to see her when she gave me up and left me in the system?"

Regina can see moisture beginning to build up in Lily's eyes.

"Perhaps she would like to explain her actions. Have you written back to her?"

Lily shakes her head.

"Would you like some help with that? You can use my office, no one will disturb you, and if you want me to read it over, I will - but only if you want me to."

"I do have a lot of questions for her. I don't know."

Regina takes her hand again.

"Do you want my honest advice?" Lily nods.

"The most difficult thing to do will be to see her. So if you start writing to her it will make it easier to get answers to your questions. And it will give you a chance to prepare yourself to see her. What do you think? Does that sound like a good idea?" Lily nods again.

"Why don't you come back tomorrow morning and you can start your letter."

"Okay."

Lily sits up and smiles at Regina.

"Can I…is it allowed…I mean…can I hug you?" She asks nervously.

"Of course, honey."

Regina leans forward and Lily hugs her tightly. It takes longer than normal but Regina feels Lily's hostility towards her subside.

"Thank you, Miss Mills," Lily says when the hug is over.

"Anytime sweetie."

Emma, Belle, Tink and Lily are enjoying their lunch in the cafeteria when Mulan joins them. Emma gestures to Lily to move so Mulan can sit down.

"So, back from isolation?" Emma asks innocently.

"Yes and I heard I have you to thank for that?"

"Yes indeed."

Mulan bites her lip and looks down at her plate. She knows what this means; she will have to listen to Emma. She owns her now.

Emma walks into Regina's office with a cocky smile. She sits down and waits for Regina to acknowledge her.

"Do you know how to knock, Emma?" Regina asks without looking up from her paperwork.

Emma nods, but since Regina can't see her she sighs irritably.

"Yes, I know how to knock," she says in a supremely bored voice.

"Then why don't you go outside again, knock and wait for me to tell you to come in."

Emma rolls her eyes but does as she is told. She has to wait five minutes until she hears Regina say she can come in. When Emma re-enters Regina has moved from behind the desk and is sitting in her leather chair.

"So what do you want me to do for the next three days?"

"Well, there has been a change. You will not be working here for just three days, it will in fact be a week."

Emma puts her hands on her hips and looks at Regina defiantly.

"What kind of bullshit is that? We made a deal!" She says, pointing between them to emphasise the point.

"The deal was that you would promote my counselling work - not force girls to come here! Do you think I'm stupid? Did you think I wouldn't figure out how you got those girls to see me?"

"What does it matter? You got to talk to some girls," Emma shoots back.

"Of course it matters! I want to genuinely help these girls and to do that they need to trust me and come to me willingly."

Emma sighs again.

"Still, I'm not working here for a week."

"Yes you will, Emma. It's your punishment and I shouldn't have taken you up on that deal in the first place."

"NO I WON'T!"

"YES YOU WILL!"

Regina is standing up as well now and their faces are so close together that she can feel the puffs of air leaving Emma's lungs and see the girl gritting her teeth.

"I'm going to make your life miserable! You'll quit before the week is over!"

"Don't count on it. I honestly don't care what you do to me. I will NOT give you the satisfaction of quitting! Now get out of my office and find Ruby Lucas; she will tell you what to do for today."

Emma takes a step closer to Regina, backing her up against her desk. If she looks closely she can see the vein on Regina's neck throbbing like crazy.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Emma slams the door as she leaves the office.

Regina's legs feel like they've turned to mush. She holds on to her desk and forces herself to take several deep breaths. For a second there she thought Emma was going to attack her.

Emma is beyond frustrated. Regina has gotten under her skin and she wants the woman gone. She barges into Belle's room and lets herself fall onto the bed next to the girl.

"What's wrong?" Belle asks, putting down the book she's reading.

"I need to think! I need a plan."

"A plan for what?" Belle doesn't really know what to say. She hasn't talked to Miss Mills, but she figures something must have happened with the new counsellor for Emma to be this aggravated. Belle has known Emma for a long time now: she knows that even when Emma is being rude and manipulative, it's just an act. She puts up these walls to protect herself and, try as she might, Belle hasn't been able to break them down.

"I need a plan to get rid of Miss Mills. I don't even understand how she is annoying me so much."

"You want to make her quit?"

Emma nods solemnly.

"Yes, but nothing I can think of is going to work. She already told me she isn't going to quit, no matter what I do."

"So in that case...You want to get her fired?" Emma tenses and sits up straight.

"Yes, exactly! Do you remember educator Whale?"

"Is that the really creepy one who got fired two years ago?"

"Yes, that's the one."

'But…He…But he got fired because he slept with one of us. How are you going to do the same with Miss Mills? I mean, you don't even know if she likes girls."

"I need information on her!"

"EMMA!" Ruby cries, stalking into Belle's room. "You were supposed to come and find me for your work this afternoon."

Emma gets up but turns to Belle one last time.

"Tell the girls I need to talk to them this evening before lights out."

Belle nods and watches Emma leave. She doesn't like the other girl's plan at all. All she wants is to be left in peace to read her books until she can get out of this crazy hellhole.

It's twenty minutes until lights out when Emma finally finishes her work. She had to clean out the educator's showers. The filthy brown water had left the most disgusting smell. Ruby had brought her a sandwich for dinner and she hadn't been able to finish it for fear she would throw up and have to clean that up too.

When she walks into her room everyone is waiting for her. They sit in a circle on the floor and wait until Emma is ready to tell them what's going on. Lily can't stand the anticipation.

"So why are we all here?" She asks, not liking what is happening one bit. If Emma is planning something she is definitely going to be involved and she desperately doesn't want to be.

"I need information about Miss Mills and I need you guys to get it."

Emma closes the door of the cell and sits down on the ground with her friends.

"I need her file - her personal file from Mrs Lucas' office."

Lily laughs, shaking her head in disbelief and a few other girls look incredulous.

"Are you crazy? How do you think you're going to get your hands on that?"

"I'm not going to get my hands on anything. You are," Emma says seriously and Lily pales.

"What! How am I going to do it? I can't do that."

"It's actually rather easy," Emma explains, "your sentence is almost done, so you can ask to speak to Mrs Lucas about what the rules are when you leave. She gives advice to every girl who gets out and helps them on their way. We all know Granny has a sweet tooth, so she'll leave her office for at least five minutes to get some tea or coffee and homemade cookies. Once she's gone all you have to do is find Miss Mills' file, take the most important papers and hide them in your bra."

Lily gets up and starts pacing the room. Everyone watches her warily.

"If I fuck this up I can get more time. You know that right?"

Lily wants Emma to really think about what she's asking of her.

"Well one, you're not going to fuck this up, and two: if anything happens I'll take the full blame and get the extra months. You're the only one who can do this," Emma says, getting up and taking hold of Lily's shoulders.

"I need you to do this, Lily. Ask me for anything you want, just do this for me."

Lily is conflicted: she likes Miss Mills because she agreed to help her with her mom, but she loves Emma like a sister - even if they fight all the time - and she's known her for three years.

"I want you to help me write a letter to my mom."

Emma drops her hands.

"Your mom? Like, your real mom?" Lily nods.

"She's been contacting me and Miss Mills was going to help me write back, but if you're planning to do something to her she won't be able to. And you're a foster kid too, so I think you really could help...Help me write the letter and I'll do it."

Emma gives herself a second to think. Lily's mom had found her. When Emma was younger she dreamed of having a mom and dad and doing normal things together like going to the park or the swimming pool. In her dreams she felt happy because even if she couldn't put a face to those parents, she felt loved and taken care of.

"I'll help you, Lily!"

Regina storms into the staff break room and grabs a mug, setting it down on the table with a bang. Graham, who was already in the break room, looks at her with concern.

"What happened?"

"Emma Swan, that's what happened. I try and try to help these girls and she fights me every step of the way."

Graham only chuckles in response.

"What's so funny?" Regina asks bitterly.

"Emma. She is a handful, I'll give you that, but she's a good person underneath it all."

"Well I'm sorry, but I have yet to see anything to make me believe she's a good person."

Graham fiddles with the coffee machine before answering, pouring some of the steaming liquid into his and Regina's mugs.

"How much do you know about her?"

"Just what I read in her file, which isn't much," Regina admits, sighing.

"Well, for the assault on her foster father she got sentenced to stay in Edmonton for three years. She was only twelve at the time. She's been here for five years."

"Yes, I did wonder about that. How did she manage to get two additional years?"

"When you show severe bad behaviour you get another six months. But everything she does that is classified as 'bad behaviour,' in the end, is something that will benefit the girls. Like last time, she broke several shower doors, the shower heads, even the tiling. There was so much damage that Mrs. Lucas had to install brand new showers."

Regina is shocked at this new insight into Miss Swan.

"You have to give her a second chance," Graham continues and grins impishly, "well…probably more like several chances. You have to break down her walls without yelling or getting mad and showing her that she's getting to you. Let her come to you, don't force her. You'll soon see that she's a very intelligent girl."

Regina rubs her temples. He's right, she knows it. She is going to have to take things slow with Emma.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks to all who are following this fic, thank you for the nice comments. Please don't be afraid to give some pointers. I love to hear your feedback**_

 _ **Chapter 4: Breaking down her walls!**_

 _She grabs the knife and hears an icy scream. He falls to the ground, blood streaming from a gaping wound in his chest, and Emma watches him. There's blood on the knife and blood on her hands._

 _"You will never use it on me or any other girl again!"_

 _She wants to wipe away her tears but can't because of the blood. What is a person supposed to feel after they have done something as terrible as this? Fear? Regret? Anger? Maybe some sort of twisted happiness? No, Emma doesn't feel any of these things. All she feels is relief._

Emma opens her eyes and stretches her limbs. It's a little before six. She has slept really well for the first time in a while - maybe in anticipation of the events planned for the day. She climbs out of bed, pulls on her plain clothes and as soon as she is done her door opens and a smiling Ruby lets her out.

"Good morning, Ruby."

"Good morning, Emma, you look like you slept well."

Emma smiles and nods.

"I did, I slept really well, like a baby."

They walk into the kitchen together and Ruby opens the lock on the utensil cupboard.

"So what can we make today?" Emma asks no one in particular as she opens the fridge to reveal a number of ingredients. Ruby comes to stand beside her and looks as well.

"Um, why don't you make some eggy bread?"

"Mmm, I don't know about you, but I'm more in the mood for pancakes!"

Ruby chuckles and agrees, "pancakes it is and I'm going to help you - even if it's just by licking the bowl."

After an hour they have enough batter to feed an army and serve each table a stack of pancakes, Emma receiving praise for her delicious cooking. She makes her way over to her friends' table. They are all chatting and eating eagerly, Tink making a complete mess, syrup dripping off her chin in sticky rivulets. Lily joins the table a moment later and nods at Emma.

"I'm meeting Mrs. Lucas after breakfast."

Lily plays with her fingernails and looks down while Granny rifles through the paperwork they need to fill in before Lily's release. Lily doesn't really make an effort to stop her mind from wandering and keeps her gaze concentrated on the filing cabinet. The keys are still hanging in the lock.

"So why don't I get us something to drink and nibble on. What would you like Lily, tea or coffee?"

"C-coffee….No…I mean tea," she answers anxiously.

"Coming right up!" Granny stands up and gives Lily a supportive squeeze on the shoulder.

The minute Granny closes the door she jumps up and makes her way to the cabinet. Unlocking it, she lets her fingers trace over the files until she gets to the letter M.

"MA, ME, MI, Mills. Got it…"

Lily opens the file and lets her eyes briefly skim over the words on each of the pages, evaluating their value. When she comes to a page entitled 'family history' she folds the paper and sticks it swiftly in her bra. She takes another random paper just in case she missed something. Unsure how much time has passed, she quickly slides the file back where it belongs and sits back down in her seat. It's about another minute before Granny walks back in, cheerfully laden down with a plate of cookies and a teapot. She remembers Emma's words and smiles as she thinks that this was indeed very easy.

"So!" Granny says abruptly, "You're getting out in a week. Do you have someone who can come and pick you up? Can you stay with someone or do we need to make arrangements for you?"

"I don't know yet. I…My mother…she wrote to me and maybe if things go well between us I might…maybe she would let me live with her."

Lily doesn't want to pin her hopes on this woman, but she did wonder if such a thing would be possible.

"But I guess I need a back-up plan too. So yeah, I think I need to make other arrangements."

Granny picks up her cup of tea and takes a sip.

"It's okay to want something. You don't have to be ashamed of wishing for your mother. I heard from Miss Mills that you're going to write a letter to her."

"Yes I am, Emma is going to help me with it."

Granny lifts an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought Miss Mills was going to help you with it?"

"I prefer Emma, she knows where I come from. She's a foster kid just like me."

Granny nods in understanding.

"Well, why don't we wait and see what comes out of this and then we can decide what to do. Does that sound reasonable?"

Lily nods.

"Okay, let me walk you back to the units."

Lily finishes her tea, pops a cookie in her mouth and follows Granny outside. As soon as she's back in the units she is able to breathe freely again. Lily walks to Emma's room and pulls the papers from her bra, hiding them under Emma's pillow. She walks out cautiously, checking each way just in case someone sees her coming out of Emma's room.

Emma literally stuffs her face with food at lunch so she has time to go to her room and read the information Lily had left for her. Everything had gone as planned giving her a warm tingly feeling; her plans always worked out.

She reaches for the papers and smooths them out. The first page is filled with basic information: hometown, current address, age, driving capability and her phone number. The last thing was potentially useful - maybe she could call the brunette when Regina is at home; it would probably freak her out knowing Emma has this information about her…

The second paper is much more interesting as it details her family history, including the names of her father, mother and also her sister. The sister's name feels familiar to Emma, but she can't figure out where she had heard it before. Yet she knows she has definitely heard it before. She tucks the papers back under her pillow and makes her way to Miss Mills' office.

She hasn't really got the right information to use for the little seduction games she plans to play, For now, Emma resigns herself to playing the role of sweet little girl.

"Come in," Regina calls when she hears a soft knock at the door. To her surprise, Emma walks in with a soft smile on her lips. Regina had been mentally preparing herself for any trouble Emma was going to cause today, but it seemed like the girl had put their discussion behind her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Mills. What can I do for you today? Some more copying?" Emma purrs in a soft voice.

Regina puts her glasses down and walks over to the bookcase across the room. Emma follows and places herself so close to Regina that their shoulders are almost touching.

"I would like you to clean out all the books that were published before or in the year 2000. Their guidelines on dealing with troubled teenagers are irrelevant and outdated. If you find a book that you think might be still be important, don't be afraid to ask me."

Emma puts her hand on Miss Mills' shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm not scared of you."

"No, you're not," Regina chuckles.

Emma gets to work without complaint. Regina starts to enjoy this easy companionable quiet - no backstabbing, no hateful comments. Maybe she had gotten through to Emma yesterday. Regina goes back to gathering information about Lily's biological mother, who had called the centre and asked if she could visit Lily. Mrs. Lucas and Regina agreed that it was a good idea. The woman seemed genuinely invested in Lily's wellbeing, but that being said, it was still up to Lily to decide if she wanted to schedule a visit.

When Emma finishes the first bookshelf she comes across a book she finds very interesting. She walks to Miss Mills' desk and stands beside her.

"Miss Mills, what is this book about?"

She puts the book down on the desk and Regina looks at it.

"Oh, Dreams by Stefan Klein. He's a professor who explains in simple terms what our dreams are trying to tell us."

Emma leans in and flips the book to read the summary. Emma can feel her breasts pressed up against Regina's shoulder, but the counsellor doesn't say anything about it.

"Are you having some dreams that need explaining?" Miss Mills asks.

Emma smiles predatorily.

"I might be," she whispers in Regina's ear before getting back up. Regina can feel her heartbeat racing faster, just like when she had thought Emma was going to attack her; this time it was for a very different reason.

"So um," Regina coughs a little, "why don't you take it with you to read? If you have any questions afterwards I would be happy to help you."

"That would be lovely," Emma says and casually winks at her.

Emma finishes the rest of her work without incident, only asking every so often when she isn't sure if a book should stay or go. Once she is done, Regina asks her to stay a little longer while she gets them something the eat. They eat and drink in silence until Regina exclaims,"Thank you!"

"For what?" Emma asks, curious.

"For working with me and not against me."

Emma grips Regina's hand and lets her thumb rub gentle circles over it.

"I think I figured out that working with you will be more fun than working against you," Emma says, her eyes darkening, pupils dilating.

Regina finds herself lost for words, the only thing on her mind is the smooth touch of Emma's thumb against her skin. It had been a while since she had been touched in such a gentle manner and Regina felt herself getting flustered.

She snatches her hand back and clears her throat.

"You should go, your work is done for today. Can you find Lily for me and tell her to come to my office?"

Emma nods, gets up and leaves the office. Regina catches herself staring at Emma's butt. She curses at herself and shakes her head. No, this wasn't happening, Regina wasn't attracted to Emma. She was to young and totally off limits.

Regina gets up and tidies her desk, putting the refreshments away. Not long after she hears a knock and Lily enters the room.

"Good afternoon, Lily. Did you bring a pen and paper to write your letter?" Lily sits down in the chair opposite the desk.

"I'm sorry Miss Mills but Emma is going to help me write it. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just she's a foster kid like me and she knows what I've been through."

"I understand, Lily and don't worry, I don't mind. Since you're here I can tell you that your mom called the centre and she would really like to schedule a visit. I told her I would discuss it with you and let her know."

Lily swallows hard. Her mom seemed really persisted; maybe she really did care about her.

"Of course, it's perfectly within your rights to decline. You don't have any obligation to honour her request. If you decide you do want to meet her, you may choose someone to accompany you."

Lily thinks hard about the new information. Maybe she should meet her mom without sending a letter first. She seems to really want to get to know her and if there is a possibility that Lily can live with her after her release, she should find out as soon as possible.

"I want to meet her and I want Emma to come with me." Regina nods.

"I will schedule a visit. What do you think about Friday afternoon, the day after tomorrow?"

"Alright," Lily says, letting out a puff of air. Maybe things are finally looking up for her.

After dinner Emma joins Belle in her room. She had taken the papers from under her pillow and showed them to Belle.

"Do you remember this name? I recognize it but I can't place it." Belle takes the piece of paper and looks over it frowning in concentration.

"Zelena? Oh Zelena!" Belle paces the room and pulls at her chin with her fingers.

"Yes I remember now; she's the one who killed herself. She is the only one to ever have committed suicide here."

Emma eyes grew wide. She wanted to know about Regina so she could use her weaknesses to get close to her, but now she feels conflicted.

"Do you know why she did it?" Emma asks and Belle shakes her head solemnly, then adds, "No I don't, but it might be in her file."

Belle hands the paper back to Emma. The information Emma has just uncovered about Zelena makes her curious. Emma was sceptical about Regina's motivations behind helping the girls at Edmonton. Had she mistakenly decided Miss Mills' fate too quickly? Maybe she did have a truly genuine reason to want to help everyone. Emma quickly figures she needs to get her hands on more information about Zelena. For that she needs Mulan's help, but that is trouble for tomorrow.

Emma retreats to her room with the book Miss Mills had leant her. She needs to know why she has the same dream every night, why she can't get rid of it and what it actually means.

 _"Come on Gina, just try it! It's only lipstick."_

 _Regina looks at her best friend Kathryn._

 _"My mom will kill me if she finds out. She thinks red lipstick is for sluts and prostitutes."_

 _Kathryn rolls her eyes._

 _"Your mom is so uptight. Come on, just try it." Regina hesitates for a second but decides to do it anyway. Regina pouts her lips and applies the bright red lipstick with an unpracticed hand. She looks at herself in the mirror and finds that the colour surprisingly suits her really well._

 _Regina locks eyes with Kathryn in the mirror._

 _"What do you think?" She asks._

 _"You look gorgeous. Let me try some." Regina turns around to give Kathryn the lipstick, but is taken aback when Kathryn kisses her on the lips. Regina is shocked but after a small pause she kisses Kathryn back. This feels so good, Regina can't help thinking._

 _"REGINA MILLS!"_

 _The blood drains from Regina's face when she hears her mother's distinctive polished voice. Before Regina can say anything she feels a sudden pain in her right cheek. Her mother had slapped her, hard._

 _"And you! Filthy girl! Get out of my house." Cora yells at Kathryn, who is frozen to the spot. Cora grabs the girl's hair and drags her out of the room._

 _"Didn't you hear me? Get out of my house!" Regina runs after them and yanks at her mother's arm so she has to let go of Kathryn's hair. Regina feels a second slap, this time on her left cheek._

 _"Go! Kathryn, just go!" Regina cries and Kathryn stumbles down the stairs and out the front door._

 _"You stupid disobedient girl. How dare you humiliate me like that?" Cora hits Regina again, this time with so much force that Regina falls to the floor. She lies close to the edge of the staircase and for a second Regina thinks that Cora is going to push her down the stairs. Instead she almost welcomes the rain of slaps all over her body._

 _"STOP HITTING HER!" A voice screams and the slaps stop coming._

 _Regina opens her eyes and sees her sister Zelena standing at the edge of the stairs, looking down at the lifeless body at the bottom._

 _"I…killed…her," Zelena says, her voice creaking and weak and her face a shocked mask of disbelief_

Regina feels awful when she walks into the breakroom the next morning; it's been a while since she had a dream about that day. The day she lost her mother - but mostly she remembers it as the day she lost her sister. Zelena was never the same after that; she closed in on herself. She was arrested, charged with first degree murder and sent to Edmonton Correctional Centre for Young Girls, and Regina wasn't able to see her for two years. Only at the end were she and her father allowed to visit because of Zelena's crippling depression. When she saw her sister Regina knew immediately that any piece of the fantastic person she once was had disappeared.

During breakfast, Emma asks Mulan for the favour she owes her after getting her released from isolation. She wants Mulan to steal Zelena's file while she distracts Miss Mills.

"Give me ten minutes. I'll get her to leave the office and give you enough time to sneak in and get the file." Mulan nods tersely, picking up a book and pretending to read on one of the couches out of sight of the educators - but close enough to see Miss Mills' office.

Emma puts on her best smile and knocks on the familiar door. She waits for Miss Mills to call her in.

Regina looks tired: her hair isn't as smooth as yesterday and she has bags under her eyes. Emma closes the door and sits down.

"Are you all right, Miss Mills?"

Regina rubs her eyes and nods.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep very well last night and my neck is bothering me."

Emma beams because Miss Mills has just given her the perfect excuse to execute her plan. She stands up and quickly walks behind Miss Mills whilst she continues to rub her eyes. She squeezes the counsellor's shoulders with a firm grip. Regina is shocked when she feels Emma's hands on her.

"Wha—What are you doing!?" She tries to shake Emma's hands off, but the girl keeps massaging and manipulating her muscles.

"Stop fighting it, I'm just helping you out. Relax!" Emma rolls her knuckles over a particularly tight muscle and hears Miss Mills moan.

"That's it…Keep relaxing."

Regina can't help the moans that escape her throat. Emma is doing something magical to her shoulder muscles. She feels a warmth spreading through her whole body - something inside her erupting - something she hasn't felt in a long time. It's almost the same feeling as when she had kissed Kathryn, many years ago. It feels so incredibly good.

No! She shouldn't be thinking like this. This can't be good, this can't be right!

"Woah, what just happened?" Emma asks with a deep frown, "your muscles totally just tensed up, even more than earlier."

Regina's breath hitches.

"I think you should stop Emma," Regina whispers.

Emma pretends not to have heard. She leans over Regina and grabs the hand cream on Regina's desk. She puts it aside for a second and lets her hand wander down Regina's front, opening a button of her blouse. Regina feels herself blushing even as just the tip of Emma's fingers brush the top of her cleavage. She wants to say something, anything, to stop this madness - she can't find her voice.

With the extra button open, Emma pushes down the fabric of the blouse to expose the honey-coloured skin of Miss Mills' shoulders. She squeezes some hand cream onto her hands and starts rubbing it liberally into every last crevice of skin she can touch. Regina can't help herself and she lets her head fall back. She knows she is enjoying this far too much.

"Oh CRAP!" Emma cries suddenly. Some of the cream had splattered on her shirt. Regina turns to see what's wrong.

"I'm never going to get this out and this is my favourite shirt," Emma pouts adorably.

"Nonsense, we will just wash it out in the toilets."

Regina takes Emma's hand and guides her out of the office. She is glad for the interruption because if she had stayed in that seat any longer she might have done something she would regret. They walk together to the toilets, leaving the office open and empty.

Regina heads to the sink and tears some paper towels from the machine. She holds it under the stream of tap water and turns to clean Emma's shirt. Her face pales when she realises Emma is standing in only her bra with her shirt in her hands. Regina hastily takes the shirt and turns her back on Emma. She starts cleaning the cream off the shirt, not noticing that Emma is stepping closer and closer. Emma places her hands on Regina's hips and the older woman jumps in shock.

"Emma! What are you doing?" Regina asks nervously. She turns around to take control of the situation, but Emma simply steps further into her personal space and backs her up against the sink. Emma's long fingers trace the lines on Regina's face, her strong jawline, the little scar, her lips.

"Emma," Regina breathes, her eyes pleading, "please stop."

Emma stops and locks eyes with her. Regina's eyes are dark and full of hunger.

"I know you want this, I can see it."

Regina finally gathers the inner strength she needs to push Emma back.

"We can't always act on the things we want."

Mulan walks casually into the office. She opens the file closet and looks inside. Her fingers tracing over the fills. But how many times she keeps tracing them she can not find the file. She closes the closet and looks around the office. Her eyes fall on the desk and she walks over. She opens every draw and in the last one she finds the file. She grabs the papers and looks them over.

She was about to hide the papers when the door opened and a pale looking Regina stepped in with a nervous and wide eye looking Emma following her.

"What are you doing with those paper?" Regina asks in anger. Emma is standing behind Regina and was shaking her head. Making sure Mulan wouldn't say a thing but at the same moment Regina had seen her doing it.

"Is this one of your plans?" She asks Emma furious. Emma didn't say a word. Regina looks back at Mulan and takes a step forward to grab the paper.

"From which file were you taking these?" Regina looks down at the papers and sign deeply.

"Why were you taking papers out of my sister's file? Answer me Mulan!" Regina was now facing both girls who stood next to each other.

"I'm sorry Miss Mills, I didn't know she was your sister." Mulan lied.

"Bullshit!... Emma! I know your behind this, why did you need my sister's file?"

Emma is looking at her feet. She knows why she wanted to take the file, she wanted to know her weaknesses but knowing what she knew now, she regretted making this plan.

"Please let Mulan go with a warning. She only did what I asked her to do." Regina stares at her. She felt so betrayed. She really thought that Emma's actions were genuine. She should have now better. The casual touches, the flirting and a minute ago the almost kissing. It was all fake.

"Mulan get out and be glad you only get a warning, next time I will make sure you get a punishment." Mulan didn't need to think twice about it and left the office. Regina turned around and sat down in her leather chair putting the file papers back.

Emma kept standing were she stood waiting for Regina to say something. Emma was regreting her actions she should have let it go. She shouldn't have let Regina get to her. If she had giving the brunette a chance to proof herself she wouldn't have done any of this.

"Emma sit down." Regina said, her voice icy.

"Why did you want to know about me sister? And please don't lie to me." Emma sits down and rubs her temples.

"I'm sorry." She whispers. " I….I needed to know your weakness." Regina looks up not understanding what this girl has with weaknesses.

"Why?"

Emma looks down at her hands and starts crying. She doesn't know how to answer that question, she really doesn't know. Regina leans forward and lifts Emma's chin up with her finger.

"Do you want to know what I think?" Regina asks, Emma nods.

"I think you want power, power over people so you can control and manipulate every situation so no one can hurt you. I understand that you want to protect yourself Emma, I have read your file I know what you have done but I also know that you wouldn't cut of your foster dads penis without a reason. I also think I know what the reason is but if you don't talk about it you will never get over it."

Emma listens to Regina's explanation and with every word her heart gets heavier and the tears don't stop from falling down. She has been holding everything in for so long not willing to show weakness, afraid of the shame but most of all she was afraid of what she felt after she had done it, a person is not supposed to feel relief. She buries her head in her hands, her whole body is shaking and she can't hold back the sobs. Regina goes to sit beside her and takes Emma's head and let her lean against her chest.

"Ssh it's okay, you can talk to me when you're ready. I will be here for you." Regina rubs Emma's head gently. After half an hour the sobs stop and Emma looks up into Regina's eyes who is still holding her.

"Thank you, I needed that." Emma retracts herself form the comforting arms. She wishes she could stay there for ever but she knows it's not possible.

"Emma, I think your punishment is over. You don't have to come here anymore to work but I would like it if you come to talk to me. I want to help you leave the past behind you." Emma swipes away her remaining tears and nods.

"I truly am sorry about misleading you miss Mills." Regina takes Emma hand and gives it a squeeze.

"You can call me Regina dear." Emma smiles.

"Thank you."

After Emma has left the office Regina let's out a sign. She has done it, she has broken down the girls walls and can start helping her.

As soon as Emma leaves the office Mulan is upon her.

"Emma! Everything alright, did you get in trouble." Emma shakes her head and keeps walking towards her room. She needs to be alone right now.

"Why did you need her sister's file? What is your plan? Emma talk to me!" Mulan yells when they enter the room. Emma turns around and feels her blood boiling.

"Stop okay! No I'm not in trouble and yes I needed her file and no don't need it anymore because I not going to go through with the plan. I please leave me alone I want to be alone right now!" Mulan shut her mouth and looks bewildered at Emma. Emma let herself fall on top of her bed and closes her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just making sure your fine. " Mulan looks down and turns to leave the room but Emma's voice stops her.

"No, I'm the one that should be sorry. Please come back and sit with me for a second." Mulan turns back and goes to sit aside of Emma.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper with you." Emma says." I just had a rough time. Miss Mills had angered me and I wanted to get her fired. She I made Lily steal her file so I could find some information about her that I could use to seduce her but instead I found out about her sister. Her sister was one of use and she truly is here to help us."

"You wanted to seduce her? You like girls?" Mulan asks curiously.

"yes I do, I figured that out a while ago." Emma answers honestly.

"But isn't it bad to like girls?" Mulan puts her head down while she nervously plays with her fingers.

"why would you think liking girls is bad? Love is love, the gender isn't important."

Mulan shrugged her shoulder and let out a sign that came from deep inside her.

"My family, they are very religious my father is a pastor. I fell in love with a girl and they told me it was a sin. They tried to ….how do I put it?...fix me. I ended up here because I snapped and my father ended up in a hospital. I'm afraid…" Mulan cried. "I'm afraid of liking girls because it's a sin." Emma shook her head and embraced Mulan.

"it's not a sin. Sins do not exist, it's something that religious makes up to tell people what is wrong in their eyes. You don't have to be afraid, you have to accept who you are. Maybe you should go talk to miss Mills as well. She is actually pretty good." Emma whipped away the tears on Mulan's face.

Emma let her head rest against Mulan's forehead. "It's seems like we are more screwed up then we actually think." Both girls chuckled at Emma's statement.


	5. Chapter 5

Today was Friday and Lily was excited and anxious at the same time. She was going to meet her mother for the first time and she was finally going to get an answer on the biggest question in her life.

Why did she gave me up? When lily was younger she sometimes wondered who this person was, how would she look like, how would she act?

But today Lily was so happy, all those questions were going to be answered.

During breakfast Lily and Emma talked and shared some experiences they had when they were in the foster system. They even found out that they had lived close together for one year just a five minute walk and they had never met. Strange how something's work out, makes you wonder if there is something bigger, something that controls our actions.

Emma and Lily were sitting on the coach of the main hall playing a game on the PlayStation when miss Mills taped Lily on the shoulder.

"Lily are you ready? Your mother has arrived and is waiting for you in the visitors hall." Emma could see the pink colour on Lily's cheeks vanishing.

"Hey it's okay." Emma rubs soothing circle's on Lily's back. "You're just going to meet her ask questions and I and miss Mills will be there to intervene when necessary."

Lily breaths deep in and out while trying to keep her nerves under control. When her heartbeat slowed down she got up and followed miss Mills to the visitors hall.

Her hands were feeling numb. 16 years, it has been 16 years when she last saw and hold her baby girl.

When she first started to look for her baby she had been 25 and her baby girl was 9. She had finally figured things out in her life but I was harder than she had thought to find her. Records had been sealed and there was no way to contact the parents who had adopted her. It took her seven years to find her, she had been so mad when she found out that she was never adopted. Her parents had lied to her when she had told her that they had found a lovely family to take care of her girl. But no, her baby girl had been alone and travelled from foster home to foster home until she ended up in this place for robbery and theft. She had fixed everything in her life and the last thing she needed to fix was this, she wanted her back, her Lily.

Miss Mills opened to door to the visitors hall and Lily looked at the only person sitting at a table looking her straight in the eye. She was a beautiful blond woman and she was looking at Lily with so much warmth. Emma took Lily's hand and guided her to the table were the woman was sitting as soon as they were within a metre of each other the woman jumped up and held Lily in a tight embrace.

It was awkward at first but after a minute Lily melted in the embrace. Taking everything she could see, feel, smell in. She didn't know why but this woman felt so familiar to her.

"I have been looking for you for so long." The woman whispers in her ear. Emma takes a seat beside Lily and miss Mills takes a seat a couple of tables away, to give them their privacy.

"You are so beautiful. I remember your eyes, we have to same eyes." The woman says while some tears are escaping her eyes.

"We do?" Lily asks in a whisper.

"You do." Emma says rubbing Lily's shoulder.

"I know you have many questions and I'm here to answered them. Ask we whatever you want."

Lily breaths in and fight back the tears that are treating to spill.

"What is your name?"

"Maleficent Dragon."

"Were do you live?"

"Downtown London. I have a two bedroom apartment. It's a lovely neighbourhood." Maleficent says reaching out for Lily's hand. Lily takes the hand and squeezes.

"Why did you gave me up?" As soon as Lily had taken her hand Maleficent had known that this was going to be the next question.

"Well let's start by saying that there hasn't been a day that went by without me thinking about you. Thinking what you are doing, if you were happy." She looks at Emma for a second. "If you had friends. I was sixteen when I had you, I had falling in love with a boy who said he loved me but when he found out I was pregnant he left. I told my parents and they were furious they wanted me to have an abortion but I refused. I wanted to raise you myself but they told me they weren't going to support me that I will have to live on the streets. I didn't want that life for you." Maleficent cups Lily's cheek.

"You deserved so much more. An adoption agency was contacted and my parents told me they had found a family for you. You would have had a mother and father. It's all I wanted for you so I gave you up. But when I was 25 I saved up money, had a new home, a job. I wanted to find you but the adoption agency had sealed the records. So I dinged a little deeper and found out that there was no adoption, no lovely family. My parents had given you to the system and I was heartbroken. I took me a while to find you again but now I have and I'm ready to be your mother, If you let me."

Lily hadn't been able to prevent to tears form streaming down her cheeks and even Emma was losing her cool and found herself becoming very emotional.

"Do… do… you really…..want to be my mother." Lily asks through her sobs.

Maleficent gets up and kneels down next to Lily so she was on eye level, looking into Lily's eyes.

"I do! I'm never going to let you go again. You are my daughter and I am your mother. I want to protect you and care for you." Lily throws herself into her mother arms and they sobbed together.

Miss Mills gets up and steps closer. "Lily is getting out next week. She will need a home." The counsellor says looking at Maleficent.

Maleficent looks up and smiles. "Lily, do you want to come live with me when you get out?" Lily didn't say anything, she just kept holding on to her mother and nodded heavily with her head.

"I will go and tell Mrs. Lucas, we need to get some papers ready." Miss Mills is smiling a radiant smile when she leaves the room.

Emma, Lily and miss Mills returned shortly after as soon as they enter the rest of the group of friends come up to them extremely interested in what happened with Lily and her mom.

"How did it go?"

"Was she nice?"

"you have to tell us everything."

All that Lily can do is smile and starts chatting away while everyone listen.

Emma steps away. She can't bear to look at Lily's smiling face anymore. She was jealous! Crazy jealous, her mother came back for her. No one had ever come back for Emma, no one ever wanted her. She walks discreet towards the toilets, she could feel her emotions running wild and if she didn't leave everyone would see her cry.

There was nobody in the toilet and Emma opens the last one locking the door behind her. She tries to fight the tears but she can't and she so tired of doing so. She let herself be weak even if it just was for a moment. She puts her head in her hands and quietly sobs.

Regina saw Emma leave. She wondered what the blond was up to and follows her towards the toilets. When she entered the toilet she wanted to make herself present and call for Emma but she changed her mind when she heard someone in the last stall. Someone was silently crying and the only person who that could be was Emma.

Regina knocks on the door and hears a gasp.

"GO AWAY!" Emma yells.

It would be easier for Regina if she just left. But Regina can't no matter how they had started out, she and the blond had become close.

"Emma?" Regina whispers.

"Get out!"

"Please Emma let me help you." Regina tries again, this time she has to take a step back because Emma throws the door open causing it to almost hit Regina in the face.

"Can't you hear me! I said get out, why won't you leave me alone!"

Regina doesn't know what to do. The blond was Cleary very angry and saying something might do more damage than good. Regina decides to do the bold thing. She grabs Emma's shoulders pulling her against her in a tight embrace.

"I'm not leaving!" She tells Emma.

Emma struggles against the grip trying to get away but Regina keeps repeating the same thing over and over again.

"I'm not leaving! I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving you."

Emma lets out a cry and her legs give away. They were both on the ground now and Regina smiles because she can feel Emma returning the embrace. Emma is crying and Regina rubs southing circles on her back.

"It's okay Emma, your still strong. People can show weakness, it's what makes us human."

So Emma cries like she had never cried before. She buries her head in the crook of Regina's neck. This feels good. She thinks.

Emma would have never admit it but she felt safe in miss Mills arms. The woman was strong but gentle, she smelt like apples and vanilla. Probably her shampoo Emma thought. A strong feeling, a warm feeling was erupting inside of her. Something she couldn't describe, something she had been denying herself for a long time. She retracted from the embrace and looks into the counsellor's eyes. She was looking at her with so much warmth and love Emma couldn't help herself, she leans forward and kisses the beautiful brunette on the lips.

It was so soft, Emma let her tongue swipe over miss Mills bottom lip trying to deepen the kiss but a gentle hand against her chest breaks them apart.

Regina let her head rest against Emma's trying to come back to reality so she could react to this kiss in a professional way.

"Emma…" She breaths and she hates how low her voice sounds.

"We can't do this." She cups Emma cheek and looks up into the blond eyes. She was relieved to see that Emma wasn't using her. Emma's features were soft and warm.

Emma pulls at Regina's neck wanting to continue this perfect moment.

"Please, I'm not trying to hurt you. I just want…I ….I want someone to want me."

Regina can hear the despair in the young girls voice, she closes her eyes and let Emma pull her back into a perfect kiss.

Emma was lying in bed thinking about everything that happened. She had shared a kiss with miss Mills and miss Mills had kissed her back. She was playing everything back in her head, the comforting embrace, the smell, the pleading and miss Mills answering her plea.

And now it was weekend, two whole days in which she couldn't see or hear her.

Emma sits up straight and gets out of bed, she walks to her discarded clothes and grabs the piece of paper which held the phone number of miss Mills. She could call her this weekend, just to hear her voice. No, what was she thinking? She probably sounds like a crazy obsessed girl. She can survive for two days without her. She had been surviving without her for all these years. Emma got back in bed and closed her eyes trying to get some sleep. It wasn't until she stopped thinking and cleared her head that her breathing was slowing down and that sleep could find her.

The next day Emma could sleep in. Her kitchen duty was over but Emma was thinking of asking Mrs. Lucas if she could keep making breakfast. She had to admit she loved cooking even if it was something as simple as making pancakes for breakfast.

Emma was already eating when Think and Mulan joined her.

"Good morning Emma!" They both cheered.

"Hey good morning. Did you guys sleep well?" Mulan fills her plate and sits down next to Emma.

"I slept really good. The best I have slept in ages."

"It's good to hear that." Emma says, she is glad for her friend who was looking better each day after their private conversation. Tink went to sit across from Emma and has her plate filled with scrambled eggs.

"Have you seen Belle, Emma?" Tink asks.

"No why? Did something happen?"

"Counsellor Booth came to get her very early this morning. She is probably still in Mrs. Lucas office." That didn't sound good. Emma looks around just in case she spotted Belle but everywhere she looked she couldn't see the shy brunette. After breakfast they went to the main hall and decided to play a game of monopoly Disney. Lily had joined them and they all choose their favourite pieces to play with.

When they were mid game and Emma was just sent to prison Belle walks back into the main hall. Her eyes were red and poufy like she had been crying for hours. The moment Belle locks eyes with Emma she came running towards her. Emma gets up and opens her arms just in time to catch Belle. Belle is quivering and sobbing. Emma rubs her back and guides her away from all the questing eyes that were following them.

"Play without me, I will come and get you guys after she has calmed down." She tells the other girls who were getting up to come with them.

Emma didn't let go of Belle when she guides' her to Belle's room. They sit down on the bed and Emma keeps rubbing her back trying to give some comfort, trying to calm her down. After what feels like a hour Belle finally gets her breathing under control and is able to get some words out between her sobs.

"He's getting released!"

Emma breaks their embrace for a second and looks at Belle with wide eyes. "What!"

Belle nods actively and lets out a cry. "He's getting out before me because of an error. Someone has made a mistake and his lawyer used it to get him out!" Emma pullq Belle back in. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Belle father was a horrible man and Emma couldn't rap her head around the justice system in this country. First they put Belle in here because she tried to defend herself against the sick man and now they are releasing him before her.

 _The sound of a key being turned to unlock a door was the most beautiful but also dreadful sound she has ever heard. Beautiful because it meant she could leave her room and walk freely in the house. Not outside the house of course, he wouldn't allow it._

 _The most dreadful sound because she was locked up with only him and his wandering hands, his gaze that follows her across every room and is stinking breath she couldn't escape when he came close to her._

 _"My sweet girl, why don't you come down and make me some lunch." His voice gave her shivers but she obey his every wish._

 _She walks down stairs and starts preparing lunch. Grabbing a loaf of bread some lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. He watched her every move, licking his lips and breathing more heavily. When she was done making the sandwich, he came closer and put his hands on her hips pushing his body against hers making sure she couldn't escape._

 _"Please! Don't!" She pleaded. He pushes her back and slaps her across the face._

 _"You don't tell me what I can and can't do. I'm your father and you will obey me!"_

 _Something in her snapped, everything before her eyes went dark and she couldn't make out a sound. The next thing she saw when the dark spots before her eyes disappeared was her father on the ground, holding his stomach and yelling at her._

 _Belle looked at her hand, white knuckles holding a bloody knife. Her gaze wasn't fixed at anything she was just staring straight in front of her. She walked to the front door and opened it. She stepped outside and went to sit on the porch. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. She stayed there until a neighbour called the police about a weird girl sitting on a porch with blood on her clothes and on a knife._

 _When the police asked the neighbours if the family had any history of violence. They all told them one particular thing._

 _"They didn't even know a child was living there."_

An hour had passed, Emma and Belle were lying on to bed together Emma was holding Belle. She had fallen asleep on Emma's chest and Emma was playing with Belle's hair and watching her chest go up and down in a slow and comfortable rhythm. The silence and calm made it easy for her to think. She thought about her time in this place. She could have gotten out two years ago but this place had become something like home to her. Maybe it was time for her to grow up. She will be eighteen in just a few months, if she didn't improve her behaviour she will have to transfer to a different institution for adults but if she didn't get in trouble she will get to leave this place and be free maybe finish school. She was smart, she could do it and maybe just maybe she could become a lawyer, a lawyer who could help girls like her and Belle getting some justice.

There was soft knock on the door and Emma looks up and sees Mulan, Tink and Lily walking in holding something behind their backs. Belle stirred and opened her eyes. She saw her friends standing in the doorway and couldn't help but smile.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asks sitting up right. Lily steps forward and goes to sit on the other side of Belle draping her arm around her shoulders.

"We were worried about you and thought we could bring you something that would cheer you up." Tink and Mulan stepped forward as well revealing big brown chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on top.

"We asked miss Ruby if we could make you something but neither of us can really cook so we asked miss Ruby if she could go and buy us a cake, we all pitch in the money so we could get you a really big one." Tink cheered happily.

"You do like chocolate, right?" Mulan asks a bit insecure.

They put the cake on Belle's lap and reveal five forks. They all watch Belle taking a big bite of the cake.

Belle moaned. "This is the best thing I have ever eaten and you guys are the best friends a girl could wish for."

The rest of the day was filth with them eating the cake, chatting, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Emma was the first one to break the silence. "Promise me something!" They all looked at her.

"Promise me that wherever we are, whenever, we will always be there for each other." Belle took Emma hand.

"I promise." Tink, Mulan and Lily did the same and made the same promise.

"We are not a family by blood but that is what makes it even better because we were able to choose our family."

They all agreed to Emma's wise words.


	6. Chapter 6

**A smaller chapter and we are almost at the end. I would like to thank all the people who left nice comments they really brighten up my whole day.**

Sunday went by fast. The educators on weekend duty were Ruby and mister Humbert, whose name was Graham. Graham was a Potter head and had come up with the idea of a Harry Potter movie marathon watching all the movies in one day. Emma and many of the girls hadn't seen all the movies and were thrilled. Ruby had brought candy and popcorn and even some bottles of cola which weren't allowed in the institution. So they watched all the movies from the break of dawn until late in the night.

On Monday many girls weren't feeling good because they had eaten to munch candy and didn't had a lot of sleep. So for just once Mrs. Lucas had cancelled all morning classes so the girls could sleep or do whatever they want.

"See it as a one day vacation." She had said.

Emma on the other hand knew exactly what she was going to do. She was going to visit the woman she had been thinking of the entire weekend.

For Regina it had been a long weekend and it was showing on her face when she walked in the break room on Monday.

"Wow Regina you look like you have the biggest hangover!" Ruby says while pouring Regina a cup of coffee. "Here better not let granny see you like this."

"Thanks, but I haven't got a hangover. I just haven't slept good all weekend." She takes the coffee and let the warm liquid slit down her throat.

"You know people who don't sleep well usually are hiding something." August says grinning. Regina snaps her head towards him and her face goes pale.

"Wow I didn't mean anything about it but it's seem like you do." August says after witnesses how Regina reacted to his statement. Mary Margaret walks in the room and eyes Regina suspicious.

"What was that about hiding something?" Regina rolls her eyes. She has to keep her cool. "Nothing August is just joking around." Regina stares at him forcing him with her eyes to say that he was joking.

"Yeah I was just joking!"

"Yeah, hahaha. He is such a joker!" Regina fake laughs. "I'm going to my office if anyone needs me." Regina walks out of the room leaving the three educators who eyed her weirdly.

"You think she has something the hid?" Mary Margaret asks the two others.

August shakes his head remembering the way Regina looked at him.

"Just leave it alone Mary. People are allowed to have their secrets." Ruby says firmly, she was still mad at Mary for spoiling the fact that she had a secret crush on Graham.

When Regina got to her office a very familiar blond with green eyes was waiting for her.

"Good morning Emma." She says as casual as she can while unlocking the door.

"Good morning Miss Mills." Emma says and followes the counsellor inside.

Regina takes a seat in the leather chair and Emma goes to sit on the sofa across from the counsellor.

Regina watches Emma closely with a smile on her face not really sure how to start this conversation. Thank god for Emma because she starts the conversation instead.

"So...we kissed ...twice. If I would ask you if I could kiss you again what would you answer?"

Regina couldn't prevent the sparkle in her eyes when she laughed.

"Well why don't you ask me and find out." She dares Emma.

"Miss Mills can I kiss you?"

Regina closes her eyes and breaths deep in and out before she answers. "Ye..."

The word couldn't pass her lips when Emma crushes their lips together in a passionate kiss.

Regina let her fingers get tangled in Emma's hair, she tries to push their mouths even more closely together.

It was a dance of soft kisses, touches and rapid breathing. Regina had moved to the sofa and was sitting next to Emma making sure their bodies were touching. Emma puts her hands on Regina's waist and let her hand move higher inch by inch, touching the revealed honey skin and making little circles with her thumb.

They both regretted that they had to part because they needed oxygen. Looking at the older woman Emma smile grew even bigger, she couldn't help the warmth that was spreading through her whole body.

"Would we get in trouble of people found out about this?" Emma asks, already knowing the answer.

Regina sighs and cups Emma's cheek. "Yes we will. But still I can't help but thinking that this is the best thing that has even happened to me. You bring something out in me, Emma. Something I had pushed down, scared of ever feeling those feelings. You make me feel alive and I don't ever want to feel like I'm not alive. I want you and I'm ready to take the risk."

Emma let her eyes fall. She was happy but she doesn't know if she wants to take the risk. She wants Regina but what kind of relationship would this be. Hiding, not able to touch because someone might be looking.

"Emma?...Say something."

"I can't take that risk, even if I want to." She could see tears in Regina's eyes and it broke her heart. "Please understand, if we get caught. I will get more months but I'm almost eighteen so I will be transferred. I want to be with you Regina but it will have to be when I get out. When we are free to kiss and touch each other. You do understand right?"

Regina nods but she couldn't help those little tears that escape her eyes. Emma kisses them away and leaves the office. Regina did understand, Emma was worth the waiting.

Emma was feeling bad about leaving Regina's office like that. She wanted to go back but knew that she couldn't. The temptation to touch her was too much. So instead she went to Mulan's room. When Emma stepped in the room the girl looked up from the piece of paper she was drawing on.

"Hey." Mulan greeted Emma. Emma closes the door and let herself slide down and sit with her back against the door. Mulan puts her drawing away and goes to sit beside her draping an arm across Emma's shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Mulan asks.

Emma let her head rest against her knees and doesn't look up when she answers. "I just had to say goodbye to something I really want."

"You mean someone." Mulan states.

Emma's head snaps up and she Looks at Mulan with her red puffy eyes. "You know?" Mulan nods.

"Miss Mills right?"

"How do you know?"

"When you pretend to like someone you are messing with their feelings but most of the time we also forget we are messing with our own feelings as well. Seems like you have fallen for her." Emma laughs through her tears.

"Why do you always sound like some guru? You're like an old wise Asian." They both laugh. "But enough about me, what about you? How are you feeling?"

Mulan shrugs. "I'm fine." Emma nudges her.

"Come on, just fine? There is nothing you want to tell me? Like how friendly you and Belle are getting?"

Mulan looks up so fast Emma thinks she might have a whiplash. "What...No...I'm not friendly with Belle."

"You know that you sound ridiculous right now. You always liked Belle but since or little talk about you liking girls I see the way you look at her. You have good taste." Mulan turns red and looks down at her feet.

"Hey it's okay, you don't have to be ashamed. Why don't you go hang out with her a bit more. She's watching television in the main hall."

"I don't know? I'm scared."

Emma shakes her head and gets up, pulling Mulan up as well. "Just go, If you don't try, you will never know."

Mulan makes her way to the main hall and can see the girls who are sitting on one of sofa's watching television. Belle is sitting alone . It takes all of her courage to go and sit beside her.

"Hey." Belle whispers not taking her eyes from the screen for a second.

"Hey what are you watching." Belle turn her head fully and has a shocked look.

"You haven't seen beauty and the beast?" Belle asks astound.

Mulan shakes her head. "No I haven't."

"Well it's about this girl, who safes her father and has to live with this beast but as she gets to know him she finds out that he isn't really a beast but a prince and she safes him."

"Sounds interesting." Mulan says.

"It's really beautiful." Belle scoots closer to Mulan and puts her head on her friends shoulder. Mulan can't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. Yeah something that feels this good can't be a sin. She sinks deeper in the sofa and enjoys the movie and Belle.

The next morning Emma wakes up feeling sad. She walks past Belle's room and can see the brunette sitting up and staring into the distance.

"Hey!" Emma walks in the room and sits beside Belle. "You okay?" Belle nods first but then shakes her head.

"I can't believe she really is leaving. Don't get me wrong I'm so happy for her that she gets to leave but I'm going to miss her so much." Emma takes Belle in her arms and rubs her lower back.

"I'm going to miss her as well. It will not be the same without her." The two girls stay in the embrace a bit longer before they separate.

"We have to go and say our good byes. They were going to get her at eleven."

They walk side by side to Lily's room when they arrive Mulan is already there and Tink is gripping Lily so tightly that she is probably choking her.

"I made this for you." Mulan says when Tink finally loses her grip on Lily. It's a drawing of the five girls sitting next to each other and laughing.

"Mulan this is beautiful. I didn't know you could draw like that." Mulan shrugs but is taken aback by the sudden hug from Lily. She has never been a hugging type but this one she welcomes easily. Next is Belle who gives Lily her favourite book,' the perk of being a wallflower'.

"I read it every time when I feel sad and somehow it takes away the pain." Lily can't help but cry at the gesture before she gives Belle a hug as well.

The last one is Emma she has her hands in her pockets and is biting her teeth to make sure she doesn't cry but when Lily calls her an idiot and takes her hands out of her pockets and drapes them around her, Emma can't help the tears streaming down her face.

"You can do it as well Emma. Be good, get out, make your own life, your own family, your own home. I have fate in you." Emma closes her eyes and squeezes just a little tighter.

At eleven, Ruby appears in the doorway of Lily's room.

"It's time Lily." She says and everyone can hear the quivering in Ruby's voice.

"Thank you Ruby, you have been my favourite educator." This makes Ruby cry and she pulls the girl in an embrace.

"Now don't you come back here. Do you hear me!" Lily nods, she isn't coming back ever.


	7. Chapter 7

The girls stay behind in the main hall just watching at the door where Lily went through a second ago. They are holding each other's hands for support. "One day we will all go through that door without coming back." Tink says squeezing the hands of her friends who are standing next to her. They all smile at her comment, they all want to leave this place and make something of themselves.

"Girls, we have allowed you to say goodbye to Lily but it's time for you to go to your classes." Graham says gesturing in the direction of the classrooms. Emma and Belle part ways with Mulan and Tink and are heading to miss Blanchard classroom when they walk into Granny who is holding a file. Emma lands on her ass and granny's papers are lying everywhere.

"Oh I'm so sorry Granny, I was a bit distracted. Please let me help you." Emma says while reaching across the floor to gather the papers.

"Thank you Emma. You know what, you would be a great help if you could bring these papers to miss Mills office she's expecting them today." Emma gives a small smile and nods.

"Tell miss Blanchard I'll be there in a minute." She says to Belle hoping that it will only be a minute, she has to admit she has been missing the brunette even if it has been just a day. The reason why she hadn't slept well today was for two reasons, saying goodbye to Lily but also because she had been imagining her and miss Mills kissing in her office, she missed the brunette. She had never felt like this about a person, it scared her but it also made her happy. She just needed to keep her head cool, give the papers and leave the office, what could go wrong?

Regina had welcomed Lily's mother and filled out the final papers for Lily's release. She had said goodbye to the girl and had given her phone number just in case she needed anything. After that she had requested some final papers from Mrs. Lucas so she could close Lily's file, she was now sitting in her office waiting for Mrs. Lucas to bring her those papers. So you could only imagine her shock when the knock came and it wasn't Mrs. Lucas but Emma standing in her office holding the papers.

"Hey, granny told me to bring these to you." Emma says holding the papers out for Regina to take, afraid of getting any closer.

Regina stood up and went to gather them. The fingers brush for only a minute but it was enough for Emma the whimper.

"Emma are you alright?" Regina asks with a concern look on her face. Emma can't help but feel herself getting flustered. She tries to hide her blush by looking down at her feet.

"No….."She breaths. "I'm not." And before Regina can say anything else Emma attacks her lips with her own. Grabbing her neck and pulling her close. Regina let the file with the papers fall and they are again scattered all over the floor. Emma pushes Regina back until she falls on her leather chair and Emma straddles her. Emma let her hand wonder under the fabric of Regina's blouse until she comes across a silk bra. She brush her finger over an already hardening nipple through the fabric. This gesture make Regina moan, and Emma swallows the moan with her own mouth. She let her tongue swiped over Regina bottom lip requesting entrance which Regina gave eagerly.

Regina grabbed the hems of Emma shirt and pulls it over her head giving them both enough time the breath before their lips crash together again. Emma reachs for Regina zipper and unzips it dipping her hands in the woman's jeans rubbing against the heated core. "O Emma, yes!" Regina whimpers.

"O MY GOD REGINA!" A voice yells behind them. The both snap their heads up looking in the direction of the cry. Emma pulls her hand out of Regina pants and quickly got of the woman looking as pale as snow at Miss Blanchard who was looking at the two women with a horrific look on her face.

Regina gets up and zips her jeans back up. "Mary Margaret please! Don't tell!" Regina takes a step forward, this makes the woman come back form her shock. "You're sick! Sick." She yells running out of the office.

Next to her Regina can hear Emma breathing increasing a lot. "O shit! SHIT! No FUCK!" Emma was having a panic attack.

"Emma listen to me, calm down please. I'm going to fix this. Don't worry, It will be alright. Please breath slow. Like this." Regina demonstrates how Emma has the breath and as soon as Emma has her breathing under control she darts out of the office as well.

When Regina arrives to Mrs. Lucas office she can hear the squeaking of Mary Margaret's voice. "She….Emma…lap….sex….fire…!" She hears through to solid door. She knocks and doesn't wait for an answer but walks just in.

"Mrs. Lucas I need to talk with you." Regina says and the two women look at her. Granny looks at her with a sad eyes and Mary Margaret looks likes she's going to puke any minute.

"Yes I believe we do. Mary you can leave us alone, I promise you this will be dealt with." Mary looks like she wants to protest but Granny cuts her off.

"Go! Your students are waiting in your classroom, go and collect Emma but don't say or do or look at her in any unprofessional way." Mary Margaret nods angry but leaves the room.

Granny gestures for Regina to sit down when she makes her way to a little cabinet in the right corner of the room. "Do you want some whiskey?" Granny asks but Regina shakes her head.

"No thank you."

"Suit yourself." Granny pours herself some of the liquid in a glass and sits back down.

"Mrs. Lucas…..I….." Granny holds up her hand making Regina to shut up.

"You know I can't overlook this. I want to for Emma but I can't." Granny takes a long sip giving Regina time to say what's on her mind.

"I will resign! I will make sure my things are out of the office by the end of the day. I know you don't need a other scandal and I know you care about Emma's future, so do I. I will leave and I will leave her alone just don't give her extra months. She wants to leave, she wants to move on with her life." Granny rubs her temples and closes her eyes for a second.

"You will wait here and I will send Ruby for your things. The punishment for you both is that you will not get to say goodbye to each other. If anyone asks you why you left you will tell them that you didn't have the experience to deal with the many problems of the girls. This is the deal I'm making with you, do you accept." Regina nods and whipes at her tears.

Granny takes the phone and dials Ruby's number, some words are said but Ruby understand what she has to do. Granny puts the phone back down and looks at Regina. "It's for the best Regina, I can see you really care about her but it's up to Emma now to prove herself. She needs to take this time to figure out her life and what she wants to do with it and you being here holds her back." Regina nods, she understands and she wants to give Emma's best change to get out of here.

Emma is sitting at the back of the classroom, crying through angry eyes that are focused on miss Blanchard. Belle is repeatedly asking her what was wrong but she doesn't get an answer, so she lets it go and rubs soothing circles on Emma's back. At the end of the class Emma runs out of the room and makes her way to Regina's office, she feels a feeling of dread going through her body when she sees Ruby with a box in her hands grabbing some things of Regina's office.

"What going on?" She asks and she hates her voice for sounding so small. Ruby looks up and concern is writing all over her face because she can see Emma's red puffy eyes.

"Emma are you alright?"

"Where's Regina?" Emma asks taking a step forward.

"Granny just told me to collect her things, Regina just quit." Emma eyes widen.

"What? No, I need her."

"I'm sorry Emma, If you need someone to talk to you, I thing Graham is in the break room, he's a good listener." Ruby tries to soothing the girl.

"No I want REGINA!" She yells and runs out of the office. She makes her way to the toilets and locks herself up in the last stall. It's were two hours later Mulan finds her.

"Emma? I just heard to news, can you let me in." Mulan knocks on the door. There is a clicking sound and Mulan pushes the door open further. Emma is sitting on the toilet with her knees pressed to her chest.

"Emma I'm so sorry."

Emma looks up at Mulan and the desperation in her voice is heartbreaking.

"She's gone…..


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the last chapter for this story, I hoped you liked it all. If you ever have questions or if you have ideas for another fanfic that you want me to write, please let me know by private message or you can also find me on twitter, sugarsweet_19**

 **Epilogue**

Emma was starring nervously out in front of her. The blouse she was wearing was to small and it felt like she couldn't breathe. Why does this have to take so long? She started biting her nails but was interrupted by a loud voice.

"All rise! For the honourable judge Davidson." Emma looks up at the old woman who had her fate in her hands. She let her eyes travel over the old woman, she had met her before. It was the same judge that had sentences her. The old woman hadn't changed a bit, she was still wearing old brown glasses that were too big for her face and her hair was even starting to get more grey.

"Emma Swan!" Emma jumps up and raises her hand. "Present."

"Welcome Emma. So you originally got three years for the assault on you foster father but it turned into five because of your bad behaviour in Edmonton correctional centre. Tell me Emma why would I let you back into society when you have proved repeatedly that you cannot follow rules." The judge asks looking at Emma with raised eyebrows.

Emma swallows and looks back at Mrs. Lucas who was giving her a nod and an encouraging smile.

"It has been hard for me, my life. I know I have made many mistakes some I truly wise I could back. But I can't and I take full responsibility for my actions. I have caused a lot of trouble in Edmonton centre because ….I…." Emma looks down at her hands and breath slowly in and out. What she was going to say was still really hard for herself.

"Because Edmonton correctional centre for young girls was my home! I didn't want to leave my home. I acted out because I know that if I got in trouble my sentence would increase with more months. I was scared to leave my home, to leave people behind that I call family but I have grown up, I understand now that it isn't a home. I want to make my own home. I want to go live my life and join society as an active member without causing any trouble." Emma sits back down and waits patiently for the judge to speak.

"You are indeed very different then the first time I saw you in this courtroom Emma. I can see you have grown." The judge gives her a small smile.

" We also know now what your reason behind the assault on your foster father was and we do take this in consideration. We also take in consideration the letter we got from miss Regina Mills who was you counsellor for a while." This takes Emma by surprise as she watches the judge folding open the letter."

 _Dear Judge Davidson_

 _As formal counsellor at the Edmonton correctional centrum for young girls, I would like to take this opportunity to speak on behave of Emma Swan, who I have had the pleasure of getting to know._

 _Emma is a beautiful and intelligent girl, who takes to her difficult young life made all the wrong choices. It is in my opinion that Emma Swan is not a tread to anyone. If given the change I'm sure Emma Swan will be a profit to our society._

 _Emma swan is ready to find her place in this world._

 _Yours sincerely_

Emma can feel butterflies in her stomach, three months had passed since she last saw and heard Regina. She hadn't forgotten about her, she was still fighting for her.

"Stand back up Emma, I have made my decision. You will be release from Edmonton centre and you will join society. Emma, I'm going to leave you in the care of Mrs. Lucas who has agreed to give you a stable home. I don't want to hear any trouble, be a good girl and enjoy your second chance. Court adjured!"

Emma turns to Mrs. Lucas, she didn't know Mrs. Lucas had agreed to that. She runs to granny and hugs her. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Granny pats her back. "It's alright sweet girl."

Emma follows granny in to the small house. It was cosy and it was totally granny. Granny walks with Emma to her new room. "You are going to stay in Ruby's old room she doesn't need it anymore now she and graham are moving in together."

Emma smiled. "Yeah, it took them long enough." Granny pats her back in agreement.

"Indeed they did. So Emma these are the rules. You will not eat or drink in your room we have a kitchen for that. No inviting girls in your room except for doing schoolwork. School starts at eight if you finish high school without trouble and high results I will help you pay if you want to go to a university or college. You will get an allowance every Sunday and I want to be able to reach you every moment of every day so here is your new phone. " Emma takes the phone and hugs granny. She is finding that hugging granny is one of her favourite things to do. After the hug granny leaves Emma alone to let herself collapse on the bed and find that the mattress is much better than the one in the centrum. Emma rolls her eyes, she has to stop thinking about the centrum. This is her life now and it's starting to almost look perfect.

"Hey Emma!" Belle cries from across the street pulling her girlfriend with her. "Come on Mulan Emma is right over there." Mulan holds her girlfriend back making sure she doesn't cross the street without looking both sides.

Emma waves at them and when they have finally cross the street they hug each other simultaneously. "I have missed you guys so much." They found a nice cafe and sat down to chat. Emma found out that Belle and Mulan had decided to live together when they were release and something had blossomed between them. They were living in a small apartment that granny had helped them find.

They had visited Lily and her mom and had started to make Saturday sleepovers a regular thing and Emma was invited as well of course. Tink had a few more weeks to go before she would be released but they already made arrangements to visit her in Edmonton.

"So...Have you heard from her?" Mulan asks curiously. Belle raises her eyebrow .

"Who? Do you mean miss Mills?" Emma looks at Mulan.

"What?" Mulan says astonished. "She's my girlfriend and we don't have secrets." Belle gives Mulan a kiss on the mouth and chuckles.

"She helped me in court. Wrote a letter to the judge." Emma plays with the straw of her drink. "I want to see her. I miss her so much." Belle and Mulan starts grinning.

"What? Why are you guys grinning."

"We have made final plan like in the centrum and got you her address. It's not far from here." They hand Emma a piece of paper with the address on it. Emma flips it in her hand not really sure how to ask her friends that she wants to go and see her right this minute. But she didn't had to ask because Mulan and Belle just looked at her and said.

"Just go already you idiot."

Emma grabs her bag and sprints away.

Emma is standing in front of a large apartment building. It looks kind of fancy. She puts the paper in her back pocket and walks in. Second floor, apartment 108.

She knocks on the door and puts her ear against it trying to hear a sound. Regina must have been getting ready to go out because Emma hadn't held her ear on the door for a second when it was yanked open, making Emma stumble on Regina, putting her hands out so she wouldn't fall on her face. But putting them on Regina breasts wasn't really the casual hello she was planning.

"EMMA!" Regina yelled. "Your here...you're out...your hands ..." She rambled. She pushes Emma's hands away and pulls her in to an embrace. "I have been waiting for you." She whispers in Emma's ear. It doesn't take long for them to find each other's lips.

They are lying in Regina bed trying to catch their breaths. Emma pushes herself up and leans on her elbow drawing circles on Regina's expose stomach. "What are you thinking about?" Emma asks looking Regina in the eyes.

"I'm thinking that some people might call us crazy for wanting to be together." Emma chuckles and kisses Regina on the nose.

"Love makes people crazy, there is nothing we can do about that."


End file.
